More Than Half Of Russians View Lenin Positively

Vladimir Lenin's positive rating has been increasing steadily since 2006, when only 29 percent of Russians viewed him favorably

A public-opinion poll in Russia has found that 51 percent of respondents view the influence of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin on Russian history as "entirely positive" or "mostly positive."

The poll was released on April 22, the 144th anniversary of Lenin's birth, by the Levada Center.

Lenin's positive rating has been increasing steadily since 2006, when only 29 percent of Russians viewed him favorably.

Twenty-six percent of Russians view Lenin as "entirely negative" or "mostly negative."

According to a Levada poll in January, 53 percent of Russians would like to see Lenin's body -- which is currently on display in a mausoleum in Red Square -- buried.