The composite centre of the Red Square - the Mausoleum - is a monument-tomb, in a Mourning hall of which there is a crystal sarcophagus with V.I.Lenin's body. When it became known about his death it was decided to build a Mausoleum by the Kremlin wall. The project was carried out by architect A. Shchusev. By January 27, 1924 a temporary Mausoleum was erected. It was a cube, crowned with three-level pyramid. In spring of the same year it was replaced by another temporary Mausoleum, also wooden.
The modern stone Mausoleum was constructed in 1930, also designed by A. Shchusev. It is a grand scale building tiled with dark-red granite, porphyry and black labradorite. Red and black shades give the Mausoleum distinct and sad austerity. Over the entrance, on black labradorite the name "Lenin" is inscribed in red porphyry. At the same time at both sides of the building along the Kremlin wall guest tribunes for 10 thousand people were constructed.
