The historical kiss is already 33 years old this year. Ten years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, in October 1979, General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev and General Secretary of the SED Central Committee Erich Honecker cemented the brotherly love between the USSR and the GDR with a long and strong kiss.
Since then, it has become fashionable among leaders of different nations to kiss each other because of the convergence of political courses. Although the idea is not new: already in Ancient Rome the owner gave the guest wine from his own lips, showing that it was not poisoned.
"Lord! Help me survive among this mortal love"
The kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker became famous throughout the world thanks to Dmitry Vrubel's graffiti on the Berlin Wall. The artist copied the “story” from a photograph taken by Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper 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 the anniversary, where socialist leaders were kissing, but... a happy accident helped.
Inspired by the preparations for the celebration, the organizers did not specify in which Frankfurt the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper was published, deciding that we were talking about Frankfurt an der Oder. And the irreparable happened: a Western photojournalist from Frankfurt am Main penetrated the holy of holies of the socialist camp. When the mistake was discovered, it was already too late: Barbara Klemm’s photograph instantly became a symbol of the era.
Graffiti for memory
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Brezhnev was no longer among the living, and the Honecker regime was ordered to live a long time, the artist Dmitry Vrubel began creating his most famous creation - “Brotherly Kiss”. This wall “canvas”, framed by the inscription “Lord! Help me survive among this mortal love,” can still be admired in the German capital. 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 people kissing against the backdrop of Vrubel’s famous work. Two couples, having kissed a lot 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 doing an internship in Germany at the time and was hastily writing a thesis for my St. Petersburg university, and for the night I decided to get away from all my problems. He came from Denmark for the concert, just for one evening."
“We began to correspond, and two weeks later I bought a ticket to Copenhagen with my last money, without even thinking that he was studying in another city. And I sent him (as if by chance) a message that, supposedly, if he had time for a cup tea, then I’ll be glad. I myself was traveling without money, without any acquaintances and without prospects of finding housing. I almost slept through the plane because I was dreaming and preening all night,” recalls Anetta. “He met me, took me to some then a friend who left him an apartment for the weekend. At first it was awkward. In principle, I already understood that I was as in love as a mouse! We walked all day around summer Copenhagen, and I became more and more aware of how different he was from other Danes, bearded and blond. And when we kissed for the first time, it started! While seeing me off on the plane, he said that if he had a choice, never to see me again or to marry and have children with me, then he would marry without hesitation. I was scared...
Context
Then there were parties, hitchhiking together to Paris. Soon my visa expired, and meetings began once a month in “saving” countries of the world, where I, a Russian, did not need a visa. Mikkel arrived at one of these meetings wearing a T-shirt on which “Be my wife” was written in Russian. This couldn’t go on for long, so we made up our minds. I went to university in Berlin, left my friends, my job, and my beloved city. He left his design school in Denmark. We found an apartment on the canal and brought our 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 terrible romance!
Soon my dad planned to fly from Siberia to Berlin to visit us, and then Mikkel asked me more persistently about the wedding. We dreamed of children. Marriage was not the goal. But somehow everything worked out, we submitted an application in Copenhagen. We had 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 chance on Ebay; they found a suit made in the GDR for him in a second-hand store. They called those closest to us and found a wonderful punk chef.
There were some adventures. My passport was at the British Embassy with a visa application at the time and it was delayed for four months. I went to the wedding as an illegal immigrant on a bus, begging the drivers to take me. This is still the happiest day of my life! After the honeymoon, we constantly had to separate again. But since March of this year we have been constantly living in Berlin and are waiting for a very long-awaited addition. I don’t know where we will end up next. Mikkel is diligently learning Russian and dreams of living in Russia, and I “gnaw” Danish so that I can understand what my husband with my huge belly is talking about.”
Fanny Dietel (Germany) and Mikhail Akkent (Russia)
“We are studying psychology at the Humboldt University,” says Mikhail. “Until our second year, we didn’t pay attention to each other, but one day we ended up in the library together. When we were leaving, Fanny (Fanny Dietel) called me by name and offered to drink coffee. "Why she decided to do this, she cannot explain to this day. 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 now we’ve been together for three years,” Mikhail continues the story. “She didn’t know that I was Russian, although now this 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. Only at the age of nine did I find out that my mother was German. She, of course, speaks perfect Russian, and family history was rarely mentioned in conversations. Our ancestors moved to Russia with Catherine II. What’s most amazing is that when we emigrated to Germany in 1998, we were settled in the same city of Zerbst, where Catherine had left at the age of 16 to marry the future Emperor Peter III. I found this out later, discovering the family history. So we have international families, and I, for example, feel that I carry both cultures within 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 like a “stranger.” This 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 by the will of my mother. It was not difficult, since in the family we only spoke Russian."
Jokes have long been told about the kisses of one of the Soviet leaders, Leonid Brezhnev. As you know, Leonid Ilyich really loved to kiss both his comrades and foreign colleagues.
It is noteworthy that in public the leader of the USSR kissed exclusively with men. Few people asked themselves this question: why did Brezhnev kiss men on the lips?
It must be admitted that Brezhnev was known as the undisputed champion in kissing, despite the fact that kissing is a rare occurrence in the political sphere. In the Western world, politicians don't kiss, much less on the lips.
It is unlikely that in the 70s in the Soviet Union there would have been at least one person who did not know what a “triple Brezhnev” was - one kiss on both cheeks and a third on the lips.
Kiss from Leonid Ilyich and Secretary General The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Gustav Husak made an indelible impression on the citizens of the fraternal state.
Did those whom he kissed like Brezhnev's kisses? Probably no one can answer this question now. But it is known that Leonid Ilyich once tried to kiss the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu.
However, he turned out to be the only one who categorically refused this ritual, as he was extremely squeamish.
But the Soviet Secretary General tried to kiss not only men. So, in 1971, another failed attempt at a “triple Brezhnev” took place. Then Leonid Ilyich decided to kiss British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
However, the “Iron Lady” politely avoided the friendly gesture, which is clearly not a tradition among the prim British.
But another woman, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, could not dodge the passionate kisses of Leonid Ilyich.
In 1973, when the Iron Curtain opened, a delegation from overseas arrived in the USSR. After the Secretary General’s speech, an American woman approached him with flowers, whom the loving politician immediately kissed. The inconspicuous choreography teacher Annie Hollman immediately became famous throughout the world.
Leonid Ilyich did not ignore one of the American politicians. The 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, was also honored with a kiss from the famous Soviet leader.
But kissing a Soviet communist was not so safe. Thus, Brezhnev’s kiss with Josip Broz Tito was so powerful that it even damaged the Yugoslav leader’s lip.
In 1974, the Cuban leader flying to the USSR already knew about the peculiarities of the Soviet leader’s hospitality. He 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 came down the ramp with a huge smoking cigar in his teeth, which did not allow Brezhnev to greet the Cuban.
And finally, Brezhnev’s most famous kiss was with Erich Honecker, leader of the GDR, in 1971. This act of friendship between peoples was even depicted on the Berlin Wall by artist Dmitry Vrubel. The "Brotherly Kiss" became a symbol of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There is an opinion that Brezhnev was a rather sentimental person, with a wide open soul. He was also a gentle and loving father and grandfather. And Leonid Ilyich’s sense of humor was fine.
Read Information in.
General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev often met other leaders in accordance with the centuries-old Russian tradition of kissing three times, but not everyone liked it
Translation for – Igor Abramov
General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev often met other leaders, in accordance with the centuries-old Russian tradition, with a three-time kiss, but not everyone liked it, and some tried in any way to avoid these fraternal kisses.
Painting by Dmitry Vrubel “Brotherly Kiss”, which depicts General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev and his German colleague, First Secretary of the SED Central Committee Erich Honecker
General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev often met other leaders in accordance with the centuries-old Russian tradition of kissing three times, but not everyone liked it, and some tried to avoid fraternal kisses at all costs.
Joseph Stalin kisses polar pilot Vasily Molokov upon returning to Moscow with Arctic explorer Otto Schmidt, July 4, 1937
Soviet leaders were famous for their warm hugs and brotherly kisses with their comrades. Stalin kissed Soviet pilots, and Nikita Khrushchev's kiss with first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is simply an iconic image.
Kiss between the leaders of the communist parties of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union Gustav Husak and Leonid Brezhnev in Prague, May 5, 1970
The Soviet leader best known to the world for how warmly he greeted his guests was Leonid Brezhnev, head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982. He was generally the butt of many jokes, and his passionate kisses often caused laughter. The so-called “triple Brezhnevsky” became famous abroad: one kiss on the left cheek, one on the right, and then, finally, on the lips. However, in fairness, it should be said that Brezhnev did not always kiss people on the lips.
Leonid Brezhnev hugs Fidel Castro during his visit to Moscow
Not everyone liked Brezhnev's overly warm greetings, so some heads of state found ways to avoid kissing the domineering Soviet leader. For example, Cuban leader Fidel Castro decided to get off his plane at the Moscow airport with a cigar in his mouth. Brezhnev, who met his Cuban comrade, simply did not have any opportunity to demonstrate traditional Russian hospitality.
Nicolae Ceausescu meets Leonid Brezhnev in Crimea in 1979
Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu, who was rumored to suffer from bacteriophobia, found a way to get rid of Brezhnev's claims without offending his feelings. Perhaps the Soviet leader thought that this was another sign of Romania's special status in the Eastern Bloc: Bucharest did enjoy significant autonomy compared to other socialist states.
Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito greets Leonid Brezhnev at Belgrade airport in 1971
However, some leaders appreciated Brezhnev's kisses. A photograph of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi kissing the Soviet leader hangs on the wall in her home museum. And the kiss between Brezhnev and Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito was rumored to be so strong that the latter’s lip began to bleed.
Leonid Brezhnev and Yasser Arafat during a meeting in the Kremlin in 1975
It is said that one of Brezhnev's first political kisses went to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who came to the Soviet Union in 1968.
Kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in 1979
Of course, the most famous was the kiss of East German leader Erich Honecker in 1979. He was later immortalized on the Berlin Wall by the artist Dmitry Vrubel, whose painting is called “God, help me survive among this mortal love,” or “Brotherly Kiss.”
Leonid Brezhnev kisses United States President Jimmy Carter on the cheek in 1979
Brezhnev kissed the leaders of not only socialist countries, but also neutral ones who belonged to the so-called Non-Aligned Movement. Sometimes the Soviet leader even touched his lips to opponents from the capitalist world. This was the case with US President Jimmy Carter.
Leonid Brezhnev at the Hungarian agricultural exhibition in Budapest in 1967
Another American, dance teacher Annie Hollman, who was part of the US delegation that visited the USSR in 1973, also experienced Brezhnev’s kiss. Their photo together made her a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic.
Leonid Brezhnev seeing off a delegation from Bulgaria and its leader Todor Zhivkov in 1969
Not everyone in the Soviet establishment thought Brezhnev's affectionate kisses were a good idea. Yuri Andropov, head of the KGB under Brezhnev and his successor at the helm of the USSR after his death, expressed to one of his subordinates his horror at Brezhnev's kisses. However, in public he always welcomed the warm embrace of the Secretary General.
A kiss is a sign of love, respect, affection or friendship. In the political sphere, kissing became especially popular in the second half of the twentieth century, and the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, introduced fashion to them. Without any embarrassment or constraint, he distributed these signs of respect to prominent political figures and simply people he liked.
1. It is unlikely that in the 70s there would have been at least one Czech who did not know what a “triple Brezhnev” was (one kiss on both cheeks and the final one 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 residents of the fraternal country that the memories of this historical event are still alive in the hearts of Czechs.
2. Brezhnev once attempted to kiss the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu. However, the Romanian turned out to be the only one who directly and categorically refused this ritual, as he was extremely squeamish.
3. In 1971, there was another failed attempt at the “triple Brezhnev”, this time the victim of the Secretary General was supposed to be Margaret Thatcher. However, the “Iron Lady” managed to tactfully dodge this friendly gesture, which was unacceptable to the prim British.
4. In 1973, when the Iron Curtain opened, a delegation from the United States came to the USSR. After the Secretary General’s heartfelt speech, a young American woman approached him with flowers, whom the loving Secretary General immediately kissed with his characteristic passion and dedication. The hitherto inconspicuous choreography teacher Annie Hollman overnight became famous throughout the world.
5. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, was the only American president to receive a kiss from the famous Soviet leader.
6. Brezhnev's friendly kiss with Joseph Broz Tito was so powerful that, according to rumors, it even damaged the Yugoslav leader's lip.
7. In 1968, Yasser Arafat visited the USSR for the first time, where he had a meeting with the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee. The Palestinian leader quickly gained the Kremlin's trust, as Brezhnev's famous triple kiss can attest.
8. 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.
9. In 1974, the Cuban leader, flying to the USSR for the first time, already knew about the Secretary General’s ritual of kissing guests upon 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 ran down the ramp with a huge smoking cigarette in his teeth, which did not allow Brezhnev to disgrace the Cuban in front of his compatriots.
10. Leonid Ilyich's most famous kiss was with Eric Honecker, the leader of the GDR, in 1971. This act of friendship between peoples was even depicted on the Berlin Wall by the young but very talented artist Dmitry Vrubel. The "Brotherly Kiss" became a symbol of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
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Look at these photos. Do you recognize anyone? You saw it somewhere, you say... Or more precisely? Shame on you, citizen! It's a shame not to know, because behind each of these pictures there is a History.
Alexey Karaulov
Zee commen!
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An accident helped photographer Barbara Klemm take this photo, which turned Leonid Brezhnev into the main gay icon of the 70s. Being a native of the capitalist Federal Republic of Germany, she might not have been able to attend the meeting of the two leaders of the socialist countries - the Prime Minister of the GDR Erich Honecker with the Secretary General of the USSR Brezhnev. Fortunately, Barbara went to the event as a photojournalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. The organizers simply did not bother to check in which city the newspaper was published. After all, there are two Frankfurts in Germany (one on the Main, the other on the Oder), and in 1979, when the photo was taken, the cities were on opposite sides of the border. The organizers of the meeting, who were negligent, were later punished, but this did not stop Fräulein Klemm from capturing and replicating the savory kiss of the two comrades. And despite the fact that the very next day after the publication of the photo the whole world laughed at Brezhnev, kissing became fashionable among Soviet (and then Russian) politicians.
*- Note Phacochoerus "a Funtik: « By the way, many Soviet people never saw this photograph in its entirety. In 1987, artist Dmitry Vrubel used a fragment of it in his painting, which he later hung on the Berlin Wall. The leaders were depicted in large numbers, and the canvas was decorated with the slogan “Lord! Help me survive among this mortal love." Reproductions sold with a bang »
In the original language
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