MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ten years after the collapse of Communism and turbulent decades since his death, two-thirds of Russians still look fondly on Vladimir Lenin.
A survey conducted ahead of the Bolshevik leader's 131st birthday on April 22 showed that 66.7 percent of those questioned regarded Lenin's role in Russian history positively, Itar-Tass news agency said on Wednesday.
Some 29 percent of these said his role was completely positive and 37.7 percent saw it as ``rather positive.'' The majority of those in favor were from the older generation, pensioners and those living in rural areas.
The survey said 14.5 percent saw Lenin's role in an unfavorable light, while 7.6 percent viewed him completely negatively. The survey was carried out by independent research center ROMIR and questioned 2000 people.
But the positive assessment of Lenin does not mean people want to go on viewing his mummified body.
A majority of 51.3 percent supported the idea of removing his embalmed corpse from the mausoleum on Moscow's central Red Square, where it has lain since his death in 1924, and reburying it elsewhere.
Most of those in favor of removing the body were young and middle-aged city dwellers with some degree of higher education.
But a considerable 41.5 percent opposed removing the body.
The debate over the future of Lenin's remains has been simmering in Russia for some years and former President Boris Yeltsin often called for their reburial while in power.
But Russia's Communists still revere the so-called father of the revolution and strongly oppose any plans by authorities to move the body.
Lenin's mausoleum is a major Moscow tourist attraction.
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