The Russian Orthodox Church called on authorities to remove Lenin's body from mausoleum on Red Square
Bishops from the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) called on Russian authorities to remove Vladimir Lenin's body from the mausoleum on Red Square, as indicated in a joint statement of the Bishops' Council of the ROCA, signed by the Metropolitan of Eastern America and Illarion, the Metropolitan of New York, who is the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.
Therefore, once again we call upon with hope (...) to say goodbye to the symbols of theomachy, get rid of the former glorification of the murderers by the names of towns and villages, streets and squares, stations and parks. We urge the removal from the central square of the country, the body of the one with whom the formation of the theomachy power is connected, which millions of lives were sacrificed for the sake of his ideology,” their statement says.
The participants of the convocation noted that this year they are "filled with joyful feelings" about the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the patriarchate and the 10th anniversary of the restoration of unity within the Russian Church. But that the 100 year anniversary of the “terrible bloody events of 1917” is being celebrated in the ROCA “with sorrow.”
Calls for taking Lenin's body out of the mausoleum on Red Square occur every year, usually in April, when communists celebrate the birthday of the leader of the October Revolution.
According to the Levada Center, more than half of Russians believe that Lenin's body must be buried. In particular, 32% of respondents believe that his grave should be located near the Kremlin wall, 26% want him placed at the Volkovo Cemetery in St. Petersburg.