#yimra

31. 3 random facts?

I've got plenty, but I think they might be too long, so here's one:

Mikhail Suslov, the chief ideologue of the CPSU, and the second most powerful man in the Soviet Union, had a deep hatred for the GUM:

This was the grandest shopping mall in the Soviet Union, dating back to the Tsarist period. A shining monument to consumerism, the department store sits directly across from Lenin's Mausoleum, in the Red Square. Suslov, to say the least, hated it.

Thus, he tried on several occasions to have the GUM converted into a museum and exhibition hall, showing off the achievements of the Soviet Union and the socialist program. Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary, did not like this idea. Every time plans arose, Brezhnev would find out about it, and immediately shut it down.

The story usually goes like this:

Leonid Brezhnev was away on vacation in Crimea. Mikhail Suslov then proposed to the Politburo that they should renovate the GUM and turn it into an exhibit hall, citing that a department store in front of Lenin's Mausoleum was undignified. Brezhnev would be immediately notified, and upon returning from his vacation he met with the Politburo:

"Some dumb ass here came up with the idea of closing the GUM and replacing it with a cabinet of curiosities." He paused, and stared down the table: "So, I'll ask again, is the GUM issue resolved?" Everyone on the committee, including Suslov, quietly nodded their heads. The issue was closed once and for all without discussion.

The relationship between Suslov and Brezhnev was always a complicated one. They were close allies who were instrumental in helping the other come to power, and both wielded significant influence in the party. But, that isn't to say they didn't sometimes butt heads. If only I had room to tell you a bit about the banter that went on between these two...