In order to embalm the bodies of leader Lenin and former President Kim Il-sung, experts remove all internal organs, destroy the veins, and extract all blood from the tissues.
Soviet Leader Lenin
Vladimir Ilich Ulianov, famously known by his pseudonym Lenin, passed away after nearly two years of suffering from pain and strokes at 6:50 PM on April 21, 1924. Immediately, official bodies in Russia convened to discuss how to handle Lenin’s remains. Traditionally, Lenin’s body was temporarily embalmed for preservation during the national mourning period before burial, but Stalin decided on long-term embalming. Signs of decomposition had already appeared on Lenin’s body, but it took nearly five weeks, until March 13, 1924, for the Russian Politburo to decide to “preserve Lenin’s body by means of low temperatures.”
However, refrigeration only worsened the condition of the body. The conventional embalming method used by Professor Abricosov for temporary preservation (injecting 6 liters of alcohol, formaldehyde, and glycerin through the aorta) proved ineffective. Ultimately, Stalin and Dgierginxki agreed to proceed with long-term embalming using Vorobiev’s method. Accordingly, Lenin’s body was opened, and all internal organs were removed. The professors then thoroughly washed the chest cavity with distilled water. The face, hands, and entire surface of the skin were covered with wet cloths soaked in formaldehyde. This process lasted four months.
To be more effective, the professors, with party permission, made incisions in the abdomen, shoulders, legs, back, and palms of Lenin’s body to allow the embalming fluid to permeate throughout the entire corpse. After that, they placed Lenin in a rubber tank filled with a secret medicinal solution.
Professor Ilia Zbarxki, the custodian of Lenin’s body, explained: “The solution contains glycerin, potassium acetate, and chloroquine. This formula was proposed by scientist Manicov Razvedencov in the 19th century. Every week we apply the liquid to the face and hands of the mummy.”
Each year, Lenin’s Mausoleum closes for a month and a half to immerse the body in the solution and replenish it with chemical preparations.
Chinese President Mao Zedong
On September 9, 1976, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Mao Zedong passed away. That very evening, the Politburo of China held an emergency meeting and determined that his body must be preserved for public viewing. They initially set the timeframe for 15 days.
During his lifetime, Chairman Mao Zedong advocated for cremation and was the first Chinese leader to sign a document proposing cremation after death. Therefore, the initial period for preservation was set at 15 days to conduct mourning and tribute activities. However, during the mourning activities, on September 10, the party leadership headed by Hua Guofeng decided to preserve Chairman Mao Zedong’s body permanently, constructing a mausoleum for future generations to see his remains.
This posed a significant challenge for medical staff. Typically, after leaders pass away, their bodies must be autopsied within two hours, with internal organs removed, chemical agents used to clean all blood vessels in the body, and then immersed in formaldehyde and other chemicals for embalming. However, Chairman Mao Zedong’s body was initially treated simply, without washing the blood vessels, making it impossible to follow the standard procedure.
Ultimately, the decision was made to adopt the method of scientists from Beijing: a combination of liquid immersion and gas preservation. Exposed skin areas such as the head and hands were preserved with gas, while the rest of the body remained submerged in liquid. Additionally, they had to apply various other preservation methods, including physical and optical techniques. In summary, this was a complex combination of methods.
When the Memorial Hall opened for public visitation, the body was placed in a position for observation without water being poured into the coffin. After closing, the body was returned to be immersed in a sealed tank in the underground chamber. Furthermore, every year after Chairman Mao Zedong’s birthday, on December 26, the Memorial Hall closes to allow technical staff to soak the body in the solution for an extended period, replenishing the lost fluid.
North Korean President Kim Il-sung
The late President Kim Il-sung was embalmed by Russian experts after his death in 1994. His remains are currently housed in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.
In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets, Pavel Fomenko, who assisted in embalming President Kim Il-sung, elaborated on the embalming process.
“Typically, three to six specialists are involved in embalming cases. For special cases, the number of specialists can go up to seven. First, all internal organs are removed, veins are destroyed, and blood is extracted from the body tissues. The body is placed in a glass tank filled with embalming solution, then sealed and covered with a white cloth. Precise conditions of temperature and humidity are maintained in the room housing the body,” he said.
Gradually, the water in the body’s cells is replaced by the embalming solution. This process takes about six months. Fomenko noted that the North Korean government spent millions of USD on the embalming and maintenance of President Kim Il-sung’s remains.
Former North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il
The body of Kim Jong-il at Kumsusan Memorial Palace
in Pyongyang during the national mourning period. (Photo: AFP)
Kim Jong-il passed away on December 17, 2011, from a heart attack while traveling by train. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans took to the streets of Pyongyang, weeping in the snow and rain as his funeral procession passed through the capital.
A year after his death, Pyongyang revealed the preserved body of the late leader Kim Jong-il, still dressed in his famous khaki outfit. He lay beneath his father, Kim Il-sung, a few floors down in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace. There, in a room filled with red decor, his body was covered with a red blanket, illuminated by lights shining on his face.
