July 6 is World Kiss Day, a sign of love, friendship or deep affection. Some countries even hold competitions for the longest kiss. In the realm of politics, such an intimate gesture is quite rare. But Leonid Brezhnev can be considered the absolute champion. Everyone who saw the era of stagnation remember well the eternal lingering kisses of members of the Central Committee of the CPSU 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 Germanphotojournalist 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 the Berlin Wall. This drawing has become 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, political leaders of 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 Soviet leader to bring back the forgotten tradition of the imperial kiss, which is rooted 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 did Brezhnev kiss?
The caricature mainly depicted well-known political figures, military or party comrades. Butthere is another story connected with the famous "triple Brezhnev". By the way, this was the name of the Secretary General's strange ritual: 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, came up with a trick. Fidel Castro descended from the plane with a smoking cigar, which prevented Brezhnev from kissing the Cuban. However, not everyone was so dismissive of the strange tradition of Leonid Ilyich. The passionate kiss of Indira Gandhi and the Secretary General of the USSR, captured in the photograph, is displayed in her museum-apartments in a prominent place, next to other relics of this great woman.
