The bodies of leaders that are eternally preserved in world history are truly limited. There are only five of them. Among them, some, like Lenin, have remained in nearly perfect condition for almost a hundred years, while others have been cremated along the way. Behind this lies not just the evolution of preservation technology, but deeply intertwined with the political choices of the era.

The beginning of Lenin’s body preservation was actually accidental. When he died in 1924, a normal burial was initially planned. However, the public’s mourning enthusiasm exceeded expectations, and an emergency attempt at cryopreservation was made. Subsequently, Soviet scientists repeatedly experimented and developed a special preservative solution that replaced the water in the body and suppressed bacterial growth. This laid the foundation for modern permanent body preservation.

Lenin’s tomb is equipped with a constant temperature cooling system, and laboratory experts manage it around the clock. Weekly repairs, periodic comprehensive maintenance, and sometimes minor transplant surgeries are performed. It is precisely because of this strict management process that the body has remained in perfect condition for nearly a century.

However, the same fate did not befall Stalin, another Soviet leader. He was buried in Lenin’s mausoleum in 1953, but due to changing values in later times, he was transferred for cremation in 1961. It is fascinating how the evaluation of history can influence even the fate of a body.

Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam also has a complex background. He wished to be cremated during his lifetime, but his successors decided to preserve his body. During the Vietnam War, his body was secretly stored in a mountain cave for five years, where Soviet experts completed the preservation process while avoiding bombings. The era of war created the decision to preserve.

In Angola, Nétu faced even more technical challenges. To address the issue of pigment leakage from Black skin, Soviet specialists had to develop a special pigment preservation technique. He is only publicly displayed once a year on his birthday.

Meanwhile, Gottwald’s body deteriorated due to a lack of preservation technology in 1962 and was cremated. Dmitrov was preserved for over 40 years but was cremated and buried in a public cemetery amid the upheaval of Eastern Europe.

The body of Joba Mountain in Mongolia was also swept away by the tides of time. In 2005, his mausoleum was destroyed, and he was cremated according to Buddhist rituals.

Ultimately, the permanent preservation of bodies is a duet of technology and history. Even with advances in preservation techniques, it is meaningless without the recognition of the times. The bodies, including Lenin in the crystal coffin, are not only proof of human technological progress but also living mirrors showing how politics and era choices shape history.