July 6 is World Kiss Day - a sign of love, friendship or deep affection. In some countries, they even hold competitions in politics. In the field of politics, such an intimate gesture is quite rare. But Leonid Brezhnev can be considered the absolute champion. All those who caught me well remember the eternal lingering kisses of members and foreign delegates. And especially with the chairman of the presidium - Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. In this article we will talk about the history of the appearance of the famous photo with the Secretary General, about who Brezhnev kissed in the caricature. And also we will give some historical sketches about this political figure.

Who did Brezhnev kiss in the caricature?

The most famous kiss of the General Secretary forever went down in history thanks to the German photojournalist Barbara Klemm. In 1979, she filmed a report about the arrival of the Soviet leadership in Germany in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the GDR. There she made her famous shot, in which Brezhnev kisses Honecker, the leader of the GDR. The journalist did not even think that her photo would go down in history as an image of a particular time. Later, the Russian artist D. Vrubel captured it in the form of graffiti on this drawing became one of the visual symbols of the twentieth century. The work was called "Brotherly Kiss". Further, the drawing was interpreted by many artists. Very often introducing a share of irony over the existing political situation in the USSR and the Secretary General himself. Brezhnev kissed many people in the caricature: Vietnamese generals, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, commanders of military operations, the Middle East and other representatives of the elite of the countries of the socialist camp. Basically, the images were stylized.

Why did Brezhnev kiss?

Leonid Ilyich was the first of the Soviet leaders to bring back the forgotten tradition of the imperial kiss, which has its roots in the court ceremonies of the aristocracy and kings. All previous leaders of the proletariat considered this a relic of the past and "bourgeois inventions." However, the Secretary General decided to revive this gesture of respect and special reverence. For 18 years, he maintained this "trend".

Who kissed Brezhnev?

The caricature mainly depicted well-known political figures, military or party comrades. But another story is also known, connected with the famous “triple Brezhnev”. By the way, this was the name of the strange ritual of the General Secretary: first on both cheeks, and then on the lips.

And try to dodge here! However, the Cuban leader, who was aware of this welcoming tradition of Leonid Ilyich, did not want to look like a laughing stock in his homeland, and came up with a trick. With Fidel Castro came down with a smoking cigar, which did not allow Brezhnev to kiss the Cuban. However, not everyone was so dismissive of the strange tradition of Leonid Ilyich. Captured in a photograph of Indira Gandhi and the Secretary General of the USSR, it is exhibited in her museum-apartment in a prominent place, next to other relics of this great woman.

Historical kissing this year is already 33 years old. Ten years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, in October 1979, Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, and Erich Honecker, General Secretary of the SED Central Committee, sealed the brotherly love between the USSR and the GDR with a long and strong kiss.

Since then among the leaders different peoples it has become fashionable to kiss each other on the basis of the rapprochement of political courses. Although the idea is not new: already in Ancient Rome the host gave the guest wine to drink from his own mouth, showing that it was not poisoned.

"God! Help me survive this mortal love"

The kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker became famous all over the world thanks to Dmitry Vrubel's graffiti on the Berlin Wall. The artist copied the "plot" from a photograph taken by Frankfurter Allgemeine correspondent Barbara Klemm at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the GDR. She, a representative of the Western (!) press, would never have been allowed to attend an anniversary where socialist leaders kissed, but ... a fluke helped.

Inspired by the preparation of the celebration, the organizers did not specify in which Frankfurt the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper is published, deciding that it was Frankfurt an der Oder. And the irreparable happened: a Western photojournalist from Frankfurt am Main penetrated into the holy of holies of the socialist camps. When the error was discovered, it was already too late: the photograph of Barbara Klemm instantly became a symbol of the era.

Graffiti for memory

Already after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Brezhnev was not among the living for a long time, and the Honecker regime ordered to live long, the artist Dmitry Vrubel set about creating his most famous creation - "The Fraternal Kiss". This wall "canvas", framed by the inscription "Lord! Help me survive among this mortal love", can still be admired in the capital of Germany. A piece of the wall stands in its old place, within the city, so to speak, as a good memory of the vicissitudes of political fate.

On the eve of the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we decided to capture kissing people against the backdrop of Vrubel's famous work. Two couples, kissing enough against the backdrop of socialist brotherhood, agreed to tell us their love stories.

Anetta Rakhmanko (Russia) and Mikkel Sommerfeld (Denmark)

“We met at a concert of The Maccabees in 2009 in Berlin,” says Anetta. “I was then doing an internship in Germany and writing a diploma for my St. just for one night."

“We began to correspond, and two weeks later I bought a ticket to Copenhagen with the last money, without even thinking that he was studying in another city. And I sent him (as if by chance) a message that, they say, if he has time for a cup tea, then I'll be glad. She herself was traveling without money, without any acquaintances and without prospects of finding housing. The plane almost overslept, because she dreamed and preened all night, - recalls Annette. - He met me, brought me to some then an acquaintance who left him an apartment for the weekend.At first it was embarrassing.In principle, I already understood that I was in love like a mouse!We walked all day in summer Copenhagen, and I became more and more aware of how different he was from other Danes, bearded and blond. And when they kissed for the first time - it started! Seeing me on the plane, he said that if he had a choice, never to see me again or marry and have children with me, then he would marry without hesitation. I was scared ...

Context

Then there were parties, joint hitchhiking to Paris. Soon my visa expired, and meetings began once a month in the "saving" countries of the world, where I, a Russian woman, did not need a visa. Mikkel flew to one of these meetings in a T-shirt, on which "Be my wife" was written in Russian. It couldn't go on like this for long, and we decided. I went to university in Berlin, left my friends, my job, my beloved city. He left his design school in Denmark. We found an apartment on the canal and brought things: one suitcase and one backpack. The first months we slept on the floor. We had two spoons and one saucepan. But it was summer. And creepy romance!

Soon my dad planned to fly from Siberia to Berlin to visit us, and then Mikkel asked me more insistently about the wedding. We dreamed about children. The wedding was not the goal. But somehow everything worked out, they applied in Copenhagen. There were two months to prepare. At the same time, I did an internship in the Bundestag, and there was nothing to do. I bought the dress by accident on Ebay, they found a suit made in the GDR in a second-hand store. They called the closest ones, found a wonderful punk chef.

There were no adventures. My passport was at the time in the British Embassy with a visa application, and it was delayed for four months. I went to the wedding as an illegal immigrant on the bus, begging the drivers to take me. So far this is the happiest day of my life! After the honeymoon, we again constantly had to part. But since March of this year, we have been permanently living in Berlin and are waiting for a very long-awaited replenishment. Where we end up, I don't know. Mikkel diligently learns Russian and dreams of living in Russia, and I "nibble" Danish in order to understand what my husband with my huge belly is talking about."

Fanny Dietel (Germany) and Mikhail Akkent (Russia)

“We study psychology at Humboldt University,” says Mikhail. “Until the second year, we didn’t pay attention to each other, but one day we ended up together in the library. When we left there, Fanny (Fanny Dietel) called me by name and offered to drink coffee. Why she decided to do this, she still cannot explain. There are some moments when it is not we who decide what to do, but something from the outside. "

“Instead of the planned fifteen minutes, we sat for coffee for two hours. And for three years now we have been together,” Mikhail continues the story. “She didn’t know that I was Russian, although now it plays an important role, because Fanny’s parents studied in Tver for five years to doctors, and when she was little, sometimes the family switched to Russian.

I was born in the ancient city of Belozersk, in the Vologda region. I only found out at the age of nine that my mother was German. She, of course, speaks perfect Russian, and the history of the family was rarely mentioned in conversations. Our ancestors moved to Russia together with Catherine II. What is most amazing, when we emigrated to Germany in 1998, we were settled in the same city of Zerbst, from where Catherine left at the age of 16 to marry the future Emperor Peter III. I found this out later, discovering the history of the family. So we have international families, and I, for one, feel that I carry both cultures in me.

We moved to Germany when I was 10 years old. Of course, at first I felt out of place. An adult can adapt to the situation, it is more difficult for a child to feel "alien". It was a good incentive to learn the language perfectly. When I speak German today, people rarely guess where I'm from. I kept my native language at the behest of my mother. It was not difficult, because in the family we spoke only Russian."

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, a modest ruler who has as many as 5 golden stars of the Hero: one for labor, the other 4 as a Hero Soviet Union. By the way, this is the only person in the entire history of the USSR who has so many stars! Brezhnev honored Russian traditions, especially the triple kiss, which later became known as the "triple Brezhnev".

Leonid Ilyich can be called a trendsetter to some extent, since after him, in the second half of the twentieth century, the fashion for kissing in politics began. Let us return to the “triple Brezhnev”, we recall that these are kisses on both cheeks and actually on the lips. Here are the most famous kisses of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU:

1. Brezhnev and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Gustav Husak. This kiss remained in the memory of the Czech people for a long time, since the meeting itself took place in a very warm atmosphere, of course, and ended the same way.

2. There was a man who refused this broad rainbow greeting. His name is Nicolae Ceausescu, the leader of the Romanian people. Nicolae Ceausescu was distinguished by strong disgust, so he decided to dispense with the touch of the lips of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

3. 1971, meeting between Brezhnev and the famous "iron lady" Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher's Victorian upbringing played its part, she carefully abandoned the "triple Brezhnev", while not hurting the feelings of Leonid Ilyich.

4. A sweet and touching story happened in 1973. This is the same period when a delegation from the United States arrived in the USSR, the well-known fall of the Iron Curtain. After a strong speech by the Secretary General, a spiritual teacher of geography with flowers approached Brezhnev and received a passionate kiss as a reward, now everyone knows who Annie Holman is.

5. Continuing the theme of America, the President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, was kissed by the Soviet ruler. By the way, Jimmy Carter is the only American president who accepted Brezhnev's kiss.

6. Passion is one of the words describing the leader of the Soviet people. So, our number 6 was remembered precisely by a passionate impulse, so passionate that it hurt the lip of Joseph Broz Tito.

7. A special place in the life of Leonid Ilyich is occupied by a meeting with Indira Gandhi. One of the most beautiful kisses that was recorded on the camera. By the way, this joint photo can be found in the museum-apartments of this greatest woman.

8. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, adequately received the "triple Brezhnev" in the Kremlin.

9. Fidel Castro was smart. Not requiring a kiss from Brezhnev, he got off the plane in his well-known manner, with his usual cigar in his mouth.

10. The last work of art, namely this is what the artist Dmitry Vrubel depicted on the Berlin Wall, inspired by the “brotherly kiss” of Brezhnev and Eric Honecker.

July 6th was World Kissing Day. A kiss is a sign of love, affection or friendship. In the political sphere, kisses are rare, and the undisputed champion in them is Leonid Brezhnev.

It is unlikely that in the 70s there would have been at least one Czech who did not know what the “triple Brezhnev” was (one kiss on both cheeks and the final kiss on the lips). The kiss of Leonid Ilyich and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Gustav Husak made such an impression on the inhabitants of the fraternal country that the memories of this historical event are still alive in the hearts of the Czechs.

Once Brezhnev attempted to kiss the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu. However, the Romanians turned out to be the only one who directly and categorically refused this ritual, as he was extremely squeamish.

In 1971, there was another failed attempt of the "triple Brezhnev", this time the victim of the Secretary General was to be Margaret Thatcher. However, the "iron lady" managed to tactfully dodge this friendly gesture, unacceptable to the stiff English.

In 1973, when the iron curtain opened, a delegation from the United States arrived in the USSR. After the heartfelt speech of the Secretary General, a young American woman approached him with flowers, whom the loving General Secretary immediately kissed with his inherent passion and dedication. The hitherto inconspicuous choreography teacher Annie Hollman suddenly became world famous.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, was the only American President to receive a kiss from a famous Soviet leader.

Brezhnev's friendly kiss with Iosif Broz Tito was so powerful that, according to rumors, he even hurt the Yugoslav leader's lip.

In 1968, Yasser Arafat visited the USSR for the first time, where he was given a meeting with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. The Palestinian leader quickly won the Kremlin's trust, as the famous triple Brezhnev kiss can confirm.

The passionate kiss of Leonid Ilyich with Indira Gandhi, captured in the photograph, takes its place in her apartment, turned into a museum, along with other relics associated with the name of this great woman.

In 1974, the Cuban leader, who flew to the USSR for the first time, already knew about the secretary general's ritual of kissing guests at a meeting, and also knew that he would become a laughing stock in his homeland if he allowed this to happen. But an original solution was found. Fidel Castro fled down the ladder with a huge smoking cigar in his mouth, which did not allow Brezhnev to disgrace the Cuban in front of his compatriots.

Will be restored! On the Berlin Wall, this picture will be painted anew. Like many other graffiti, it was destroyed. But dozens of artists, whose murals adorned the symbol of the division of Germany 20 years ago, will soon gather in Berlin to update their creations on the anniversary of the fall of the wall.

"Lord, help me survive" is all that has survived. There was still "among this mortal love", and Brezhnev kissed Honecker. The famous photograph, transferred to the Berlin Wall in 1990 by the artist Dmitry Vrubel, disappeared from it unexpectedly and irrevocably. This portrait, like other drawings, is mixed with concrete dust. “We approached, and there was only a piece of inscription left. The vulgar word is “shock”, but at that moment I understood what shock is,” Dmitry Vrubel admits.

This is called "sanation" or "recovery". While some workers cover up the cracks, others make new holes. The longest surviving section of the wall is run by an organization called the East Side Gallery. Artist Kani Alavi is curating the work. He also painted on the wall and put his painting under the sandblaster. "The wall is in a very bad condition. We fought for a long time for the right to complete reconstruction," says the artist. "This is exactly what we are doing now. By October 3, everything will be ready."

In 1979, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev came to Berlin to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the GDR. Barbara Klemm - a journalist for the West German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - got to the event because someone got it wrong and thought she was from the GDR Frankfurt on the Oder. The next day, a masterpiece of political eroticism flew around the world's editorials. Those who came up with the repair of the wall promise to restore everything as it was.
"I'm responsible for getting the artists back to the wall and painting it again," says artist Jörg Weber. "That's almost a hundred people. They need to be provided with special paints that will be more durable and resistant to the environment."

All 19 years that have passed since the wall was painted, someone was constantly painting something on it. The paintings were restored 10 years ago, but by the time of the current repair they have lost their appearance again. Now, they say, there will be sensors: if someone comes to paint at night, a polite voice will ask him not to do it. The fact that the police are already on their way will not be warned.

Money at the Berlin Wall today is lying underfoot. For her piece in a souvenir shop they ask for 5 euros. The wall is dilapidated - that's a fact. And, perhaps, in order to save the drawings, they first had to be destroyed. But in 1990, when artists were allowed in, it was a special moment of inspiration - the end of the Cold War. Now the original of this mood is lost. And, at best, only a copy of it will appear here.