MOSCOW, April 15 (RIA Novosti) - The mausoleum...

Lenin's mausoleum, a major tourist attraction in the heart of Moscow, closes every 18 months for about six weeks to give Lenin a bath in a special embalming compound and a change of clothes.

Lenin's has been on public display in a glass case since his death in 1924, although his organs, including his brain, were removed during the autopsy. Regular checks are carried out of Lenin's body and Russian scientists say he could be preserved for a long time.

"We believe the body could be maintained for an indefinitely long period," said Professor Valery Bykov.

He explained that specialists who carry out the preservation work combine traditional and modern techniques.

"In the West only temporary embalmment is carried out, while we work at preserving the appearance," he said. "It's not about mummification, the task is more complicated."

One of the specialists looking after Lenin, Yury Denisov-Nikolsky, said that if the body "receives proper

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