Did you know that there are only five bodies of leaders preserved permanently around the world? Behind this fact, there is a complex interplay not only of technological success but also of the era’s choices and political motives.

Lenin became a pioneer in the permanent preservation of modern bodies somewhat by chance. After his death in 1924, he was initially scheduled to be buried normally, but the public’s mourning enthusiasm exceeded expectations, leading to an emergency freezing of his deteriorating body. Subsequently, Soviet scientists experimented and developed a special preservative solution, establishing a technique to suppress bacterial growth by replacing water in the body. Lenin’s tomb is equipped with a constant temperature cooling system, and laboratory experts continuously maintain it, performing weekly repairs and periodic comprehensive restorations, sometimes even requiring minor transplant surgeries. Thanks to this rigorous process, his body has been kept in perfect condition for nearly 100 years.

Interestingly, the fate of Stalin’s body marked a turning point. As a fellow Soviet leader, Stalin’s body was buried in Lenin’s tomb in 1953, but due to changing societal values, it was moved for cremation in 1961. The treatment of Stalin’s body was not just a technical issue but also a symbol of a shift in historical evaluation.

In the case of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, there was another layer of complexity. Although he wished to be cremated during his lifetime, his successors decided to preserve his body. During the Vietnam War, his body was secretly stored in a mountain cave for five years, with Soviet experts completing the preservation process underground while avoiding bombings—a quite dramatic situation.

The preservation of Nétú’s body in Angola posed further technical challenges. It was necessary to develop a special pigmentation preservation technique suitable for Black skin. Solving the issue of pigment leakage made long-term preservation possible. Interestingly, Nétú’s body is only publicly displayed once a year on his birthday, making it a highly limited exhibition.

Meanwhile, Gottwald in Czechoslovakia suffered from inadequate preservation technology and decomposed in 1962, leading to his cremation. Jivtróf in Bulgaria was preserved for over 40 years, but with the upheaval in Eastern Europe, his body was moved for cremation and buried in a cemetery. The body of Joba Mountain in Mongolia was also cremated in 2005 after the tomb was destroyed, following Buddhist rituals.

Ultimately, the preservation of bodies is a product of both technology and history. Even with technological support, it cannot succeed without the recognition of the era, and conversely, without the choices of the time, technology cannot be fully utilized. Bodies enshrined in crystal coffins not only demonstrate human technological achievement but also reflect the political values of their respective eras.