Lenin’s Funeral - Moscow (1924)

Footage from Lenin’s funeral in Moscow, 1924. Death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (formerly Ulyanov) founder of the Soviet state; on January 21st 1924. French titles at beginning explain that the crowd of Russian citizens are out in Red Square in terribly cold weather (temperature -35 F.!!!) to file past the corpse of Lenin on display at the Kremlin; his body was laid in a marble tomb near the Kremlin on Jan. 28. Shots of crowd passing; all of course in heavy coats; someone in front carries wreath; also some people carry standards or banners. Frozen trees in BG. Steam from people’s breath forms a sort of cloud. Great shot panning up on St. Basil’s Cathedral; a magnificently gaudy building with many onion domes; steam or smoke floating up in front of the building which gives it a dream-like appearance. More shots of crowd; many banners in Russian looks like some sort of demonstration march. Guards wearing heavy wool coats reaching to