Pickled communists: Leaders whose bodies were embalmed
Throughout history, communist leaders have been obsessed with their own image. Sometimes, this extends into death.
Chairman Mao
Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China, is one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century, responsible for making China a world power, but also the deaths of up to 70 million people. When he died in 1976, his body was visited by 1 million mourners before it was preserved in formaldehyde and is still on display in the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong in Beijing.
Kim Il Sung
Kim Il Sung was the first leader of North Korea, responsible for starting the Korean War and the establishment of a communist state. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country was plunged into a devastating famine. He died from a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 82. After a 10-day public mourning period, his body was embalmed and placed in a mausoleum at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.
Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il continued the brutal rule of his father, perpetuating the cult of personality. He was a persistent violator of human rights and indulger of state-sponsored terrorism. He died in a suspected heart attack in 2011. He was soon pronounced the "eternal leader" and his body was embalmed and placed in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace.
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh was a revolutionary who overthrew French rulers, before leading North Vietnam into war with the South. He died before he could witness the eventual victory over the south. Despite wanting his body burned and his ashes spread on three hilltops around the country, he was embalmed and displayed in a mausoleum in Hanoi. According to some reports his nose rotted off and his beard fell off.
Lenin
Vladimir Lenin, one of the founding fathers of the Soviet Union, played a leading role in the October Revolution in which the Bolsheviks seized power. Lenin's regime was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people during the Red Terror. He fell ill and died in 1924. His brain was later removed and his body embalmed. It is still on display in Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square.