Joseph Stalin removed from Lenin Mausoleum in 1961

On the night of October 31 to November 1, 1961, the embalmed body of Joseph Stalin was removed from the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square in Moscow. Eight years after his death in 1953, his remains were buried in a separate grave near the Kremlin Wall, behind the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.

The decision followed the conclusion of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. A resolution stated that the presence of Stalin's sarcophagus in the mausoleum was inappropriate due to abuses of power, mass repressions, and violations of Leninist principles. This move served as a significant symbol of de-Stalinization, following Nikita Khrushchev's 1956 condemnation of the cult of personality.

The removal was conducted secretly under the cover of night, with Red Square access restricted under the official pretext of preparing for October Revolution anniversary celebrations. Following the operation, the newspaper Pravda announced the relocation, and Stalin's name was removed from the mausoleum facade, which reverted to being named the Lenin Mausoleum.