Russian governer calls for burial of Lenin's body

An influential Russian governor seen as being close to President Vladimir Putin today called for Vladimir Lenin’s body to be removed from its Red Square mausoleum and buried, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

The statement by Valentina Matviyenko, governor of St. Petersburg, was the latest indication the Kremlin could push for the burial of the Soviet founder whose mummified body has been on public display since his death in 1924.

Russians no longer flock to the mausoleum, but a substantial part of the population still reveres Lenin and his possible reburial is an emotional issue.

“It’s necessary to bury the body of Lenin, in my view, it’s completely obvious,” Matviyenko was quoted as saying. But she said the issue had to be handled “delicately and carefully”.