The famous kiss of Brezhnev, who entered the history of the USSR

Lenin and Stalin did not like kissing, at least in public. There was, however, a case when the legendary Chkalov embraced Iosif Vissarionovich from an excess of feelings, but that does not count.

The emergence of party fashion for kissing

The fashion for government kisses was introduced by NS Khrushchev. His coming to power marked a certain warming of the domestic political situation. Obviously, like every spring phenomenon, it caused a burst of positive emotions, expressed in this gesture, which signifies the manifestation of love for one's neighbor, including in the Christian sense of the word. After the asceticism of Stalin's years, the kisses of the leaders of the party and government looked sincere and quite natural. They were willingly accepted as a norm of conduct on a par with the words "our dear", which came into use at the turn of the sixties.

To Paschal kisses, however, the manifestation of the First Secretary's affection can not be attributed, he did not like the church, and in all ways tried to limit its activities. Last his official kiss Nikita Sergeevich got at the gangplank in October 1964 from Klim Voroshilov, whom the participants of his displacement did not inform in advance about their serious intentions. More with him from the members of the Central Committee no one wanted to cuddle, although previously it was. KHRUSHCHEV Kissed during his reign all: Brezhnev, Semichastny, Mikoyan, and Kosygin. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that he showed his feelings timidly, somehow in a pioneer way, and did not abuse this gesture, deeply intimate, by showing voluntarism in other matters.

«Triple Brezhnev»

After the embarrassment at the airport, a plenum took place, at which Leonid Brezhnev was elected general secretary. The kiss quickly became part of the party ritual, demonstrating to the Soviet people and the world community the deeply human essence of the native power. It was impossible to suspect the head of state in any perverted inclinations, and not because someone was afraid of the all-powerful KGB. Behind him, dear, glory was firmly entrenched, not that of a "walker", but a well-known lover of beautiful women, and he could afford to behave as he saw fit and express his feelings as he pleased.

Brezhnev's first kiss, which entered the history of the USSR, made a great impression on the citizens of Czechoslovakia. Gustav Husak was kissed three times, absolutely Orthodox, on the cheeks and lips. Perhaps representatives of the fraternal Slavic peoples who inhabited the Czechoslovakia of that time would have reacted more tolerant to this act, had it not been for the events of 1968 that preceded them, after which sarcasm and sarcasm formed in them in an overabundance. Showing the reactivity of thinking, they called this kiss "triple Brezhnev," hinting, apparently, that it is possible to define a numerator with a larger value.

Refuseniks

Less tolerant was the Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. He suffered bacteriophobia, was terribly afraid of infection with pathogens, and therefore avoided contact with all possible sources of bacilli. Brezhnev's kiss, he believed, could be the cause of infection, because the Soviet leader did not rub alcohol with any alcohol, and he was not sterile. The history is silent about which words the head of the CRC expressed his disagreement, but he managed to avoid the kisses.

Brezhnev's famous kisses aroused serious concern of the British Foreign Ministry on the eve of the forthcoming government visit in 1971. "Iron Lady", which was held in the political struggle of a harsh school, faced a situation, the analogies of which the parliament of the foggy Albion did not know. Thatcher, like the intractable Romanian, managed to avoid the friendly embrace, which she at that time, perhaps, was more afraid than all the Soviet ballistic missiles combined.

Fidel Castro cleverly winced, he just lit a cigarette on the ladder, and so, with a cigarette in his teeth, went to say hello. The case was a hands-on handshake and a hug, which is quite acceptable on the island of Liberty. But to kiss the Cuban men is not accepted.

Each kiss Brezhnev fixed lenses

But the young American woman who came to the Moscow delegation in 1973 got a Brezhnev kiss, which entered the history of the USSR and the USA simultaneously. Expensive Leonid Ilyich will understand every normal man: a nice girl gives flowers, how can one restrain himself? Annie Hallman, a dancing teacher, immediately became a celebrity, which she apparently did not object to. Few Americans could boast of such an event in their lives, except that Jimmy Carter, the president. He got it, too.

Not sparing the suffering lips

Indira Gandhi, Yasser Arafat, many other leaders of the socialist world, rulers and dictators of developing countries, Latin American liberators fighting against neocolonialism, African leaders and other representatives of progressive humanity were received in Moscow as dear guests. And magnificent receptions invariably supplemented the legendary kiss of Brezhnev. Perhaps not all guests liked it, but for political and economic reasons they tolerated it. Joseph Broz Tito, according to unconfirmed rumors, got more than others, he even damaged his lip.

The most famous kiss Brezhnev, who entered the history of the USSR and the world

But the most famous and replicated kiss Brezhnev, which entered the history of the USSR, the GDR and the whole of Europe, happened in 1971. Artist Dmitry Vrubel redrawn it with a photo graffiti on the Berlin Wall shortly before its fall, perpetuating the epoch-making moment of the unprecedented unity of the leaders of the countries of the socialist community. Eric Honnekera is almost invisible, you can only recognize him by points and hair. Why it is this moment that is so famous for the events of Soviet history that it is difficult to explain. The meeting of the leaders of the USSR and the GDR in the early seventies was a common thing, its protocol was also not original. The kiss of Leonid Brezhnev expressed only sincere respect for the elderly communist and anti-fascist. There was no hypocrisy in it, such was the party ethic that had been formed for decades. In general, nothing special.

That's when MS Gorbachev tried to do the same thing, it looked quite different ...