The Stone Guest

The key figure of the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917 in Russia was Lenin. After his death in 1924 Lenin’s image was immortalized in countless numbers of monuments in the Soviet Union and in the Soviet bloc’s countries. In her video, the artist refers to depicted in stone image of the Revolution leader based on archival materials and found footage. There is neither living nor dead Lenin in the film; only “the stone guest” become ingrained in Soviet people lives after his death. The “birth” of each new stone Lenin is accompanied by a special ritual with speeches and festivities before a vast assembly. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the life cycle of the “stone guest” is coming to the end. This film uses the materials of the Russian State Documentary Film and Photo Archive (RGAKFD) and found footage.