July 6 is World Kiss Day - a sign of love, friendship or deep affection. Some countries even hold competitions for the longest kiss. In politics, such an intimate gesture is quite rare. But L.I. Brezhnev can be considered the absolute champion. All those who have found the era of stagnation remember well the eternal lingering kisses of the members of the CPSU Central Committee and foreign delegates. And especially with the chairman of the presidium - Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. In this article we will tell about the history of the appearance of the famous photo with the Secretary General, about who Brezhnev kissed in the caricature. And also we give some historical sketches about this politician.
Who did Brezhnev kiss on a caricature?
The Secretary General’s most famous kiss has gone down in history forever thanks to German photojournalist Barbara Klemm. In 1979, she filmed a report on the arrival of the USSR leadership in Germany in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the GDR. There she made her famous shot, on which Brezhnev kisses with 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 specific 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 figure was interpreted by many artists. Very often contributing a bit of irony over the existing political situation of the USSR and the Secretary General himself. Brezhnev kissed a lot of people on the caricature: Vietnamese generals, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, military commanders, political leaders of the Middle East and other representatives of the elite of the socialist camp countries. Basically, the images were stylized.
Why did Brezhnev kiss?
Leonid Ilyich was the first of the Soviet leaders to return the forgotten tradition of the imperial kiss, which goes back to the court rites of the aristocracy and kings. All previous leaders of the proletariat considered this a relic of the past and "bourgeois fabrications." However, the secretary general decided to revive this gesture of respect and special reverence. For 18 years, he retained this “trend”.
With whom did Brezhnev kiss?
The caricature mainly depicted famous politicians, military or party associates. But another story is known, connected with the famous "triple Brezhnev." By the way, that was the name of the strange ritual of the Secretary General: first on both cheeks, and then on the lips.
And try to dodge here! However, the Cuban leader, aware of this welcome tradition of Leonid Ilyich, not wanting to look like a laughing stock in his own country, came up with a trick. Fidel Castro got off the ramp 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. The
passionate kiss depicted in the photograph of Indira Gandhi and the Secretary General of the USSR is exhibited in her museum apartment in a prominent place, next to other relics of this great woman.