LONDON -- Although statues of Vladimir Lenin are crashing from their pedestals across what remains of the Soviet Union, there is at least one place where the founder of Bolshevism will remain firmly on his feet.
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum has announced it will keep its figure of Lenin on display in its Grand Hall, alongside life-size likenesses of other famous political, social and literary figures.
Juliet Simpkins, head of publicity for Madame Tussaud's, admitted sdayesday the museum has not received any requests to remove Lenin's image, which was remodeled two years ago after an earlier likeness was judged not to 'truly encapsulate the persona' of the founder of the Soviet state.
In fact, no one has ever lobbied for the removal of other infamous or controversial residents from the popular tourist attaction, which features replicas of Adolf Hitler, Col. Moammar Gadhafi and King Henry VIII.
Until the attempted coup in the Soviet Union last week, the wax likeness of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev stood next to Lenin, just as his predecessors, Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev, had in the past.
But on the first day of the coup, Gorbachev was moved to the more prominent 'hot spot,' facing visitors as they enter the Grand Hall. Margaret Thatcher's likeness occupied the same spot last year after the British prime minister stepped down from office.
With Gorbachev in a more central position in the Grand Hall than he presently enjoys in Moscow, Lenin stands alone, facing only Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping across the hall.
But Simpkins said Lenin may have company soon.
Recently, the museum has tried to contact Russian President Boris Yeltsin for permission to add his likeness to the Grand Hall. The museum sent its second request just a few weeks ago, but received no reply.
'We understand now why it's not surprising that we heard nothing,' Simpkins said.
