PRESERVING PRESIDENT HO CHI MINH'S BODY IN VIETNAM
Professor, Academician Iu.M. LOPUCKI
Rector of Moscow Medical University No. 2
Translator: Colonel LAI VAN HOA - Director of Institute 69
In the last days of August 1969, the director of the Institute for the Preservation of Lenin's Body, Dr. Dobrop called and informed me: The government has requested me to make an urgent flight to Ha Noi. I didn't inquire and understood there was no need to explain secret matters over the phone; the upcoming task (or what we commonly referred to as "the job") was evidently related to President Ho Chi Minh, although there had been no official announcement of his death.
At that time, I was the Rector of the 2nd Moscow Medical University. I had also signed all the orders summoning the new first-year students. My wife and children were healthy, and I was genuinely delighted to leave Moscow, escaping the annoyance of guests, failed students, and journalists; the early morning wake-up calls; and finally, the accumulated fatigue. The next day, a group of five people, including myself and scientists Dobrop, Yu. A. Korotkov, I. N. Mikhailov, and his trusted assistant, boarded the IL-62 plane. The plane followed its route to Tashkent. It was hot in Tashkent, and we rested in a large but noisy hotel with slow-spinning fans. After an hour (or a bit more), we boarded the plane, flew over snow-covered mountains seen through the windows, landed in Calcutta, and finally arrived at the airport in Hanoi.
Upon leaving the plane, we were engulfed in hot, humid air, difficult to breathe, like being in a hot steam bath. The Vietnamese quickly took us to a car, drove through a street, and then took us to a comfortable two-story white house, built during the French colonial period. There, after a simple dinner, we arranged to sleep in rooms with wide beds covered with thin fabric. Fans on the ceiling blew out hot air, seemingly denser. We lived in this house for a few days with regular security guards. Only in the evening, when the streets were empty, did the Vietnamese take us for a walk on the street, strolling around a small lake surrounded by a zoo.
On the first day of September, we learned that President Ho Chi Minh's health was very poor, and we needed to be ready for "the job."
In the afternoon of September 2nd, we went to the special laboratory of the military medical institute. There, all equipment such as lab coats, equipment for the job, and necessary fixing solutions, transferred from Moscow. At that time, President Ho Chi Minh's body was already there.
I took charge of the technical part; Dr. Dobrop whispered to me, "Alright, let's start!" I gazed at the body of President Ho Chi Minh, a slightly thin, medium-sized body, well-developed muscles. The body was still warm (due to the hot weather in those days and the short time since His passing). The arms and legs had moderately developed muscles, the skin smooth with a honey-colored tone, and the abdominal muscles clearly visible. The small hands had long fingers and neatly shaped nails, forming an elegant oval. The face featured high cheekbones typical of Asians and intellectuals. Some dark pigmented spots on the skin, especially on the forehead, were caused by age-related pigmentation. The eyelids were slightly drooping, and the lips closed with an outer contour that seemed to be smiling, expressing eternal peace. The forehead was high and broad, the hair sparsely combed backward, the long beard slightly curled, interspersed with silver and dark strands. On the inner side of the lower leg bone, just below the knee, the needle marks were evident. Later, I learned that before His final breath, Chinese experts had inserted acupuncture needles into the points called "the points of life."
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It's been 30 years since the day I and my colleagues were assigned the task of preserving the body of President Ho Chi Minh, and I was invited back to Vietnam. I eagerly wanted to visit the beloved homeland of Ho Chi Minh, acquaint myself with the materials at the museum named Uncle Ho, which is located not far from the Mausoleum, and, most importantly, assess the results of preserving President Ho Chi Minh's body.
Firstly, visiting the splendid museum, I met welcoming and friendly people. I couldn't meet the Private Secretary of President Ho Chi Minh as he was being treated in the hospital. The hospitable hosts did their best to allow me to explore more and rest in Vietnam.
However, what I desired to do during my Viet Nam trip was all achieved. I had the opportunity to visit various places: first, in the visiting room, and then in the observation and assessment laboratory of the state of the body. It was wonderful! After 30 years, the appearance of President Ho Chi Minh's body had remained unchanged: both the peaceful face and His beautiful hands. The volume and shape of the soft parts remained in his original shape.
As I had not had a chance to visit Vietnam those years. My colleagues at the Institute for the Preservation of Lenin's Body, such as Yu.A. Romatsov, Yu.I. Denikovsky Nekonchitsky, L.D. Gerepov, X.V. Tomashevich, and those who had passed away like Dr. Dobrop, I.N. Mikhailov, B.I. Khomutov always joined their hands together with Vietnamese experts, passing through all difficulties during the war, tropical climate challenges, and the prolonged construction of the Mausoleum... always ensuring temperature and humidity parameters, regularly producing medications, so President Ho Chi Minh's body was exceptionally well-preserved. No preserved body before, including V.I. Lenin, G.M. Dimitrov achieved such an ideal state.
Unfortunately, I did not meet Dr. Nguyen Gia Quyen and Dr. Le Ngoc Man, the Vietnamese who, along with us, participated in preserving President Ho Chi Minh's remains from the early days: Dr. Quyen passed away, and Dr. Man is seriously ill.
It is noteworthy that everything related to President Ho Chi Minh's body in Vietnam is indeed sacred. His teaching, "Nothing is more precious than independence, freedom," is inscribed in golden letters, solemnly displayed on the wall in the foyer of the Mausoleum.
When referring to our country (the Russian Federation), to the assistance of our scholars, our engineers, our military experts... in the journey of assisting Vietnam in terms of construction and defense, overcoming all challenges, Vietnamese always remember President Ho Chi Minh's reminder: "When you eat a fruit, think of the man who planted the tree."
