COVID-19 shuts Lenin's Mausoleum indefinitely

MOSCOW (AA) - Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow, the resting place of the first Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, will be closed for public indefinitely from Nov. 17 due to the worsening coronavirus situation, the Federal Protective Service (FSO) announced on Monday.

Without giving a reopening date, the FSO, in a statement on its official website, said: "The access will be suspended temporarily".

This is the first forced closure of the memorial in the Russia's modern history. Previously, such an extraordinary measure was undertaken during the Second World War, when Lenin's body was evacuated over fears the mausoleum might be destroyed in bombings.

Even after numerous attacks, including the use of explosives, and during the 1993 October coup, it remained open for visitors.

Twice a year, the mausoleum is routinely closed for two months for maintenance work, and in 2012 it was closed for about nine months for renovation.

Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow, built in 1924-1930, became one of the most famous burial places in the modern history.

In 1990, it was granted the status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.