With whom did Brezhnev kiss on the caricature drawn on the Berlin Wall?

July 6 marks World Kiss Day - a sign of love, friendship or deep affection. In some countries, even hold competitions for the longest kiss. In politics, such an intimate gesture is quite rare. But the absolute champion can be considered Leonid Brezhnev. All who have found the era of stagnation remember well the eternal long kisses of 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 talk about the history of the appearance of the famous photo with the secretary general, about whom Brezhnev kissed on the cartoon. And also give some historical sketches about this politician.

With whom did Brezhnev kiss on the cartoon?

The most famous kiss of the secretary general has gone down in history forever thanks to the German photojournalist Barbara Klemm. In 1979, she filmed a report on the arrival of the leadership of the USSR 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 will go down in history as an image of a specific time. Later Russian artist D. Vrubel captured it in the form of graffiti on the Berlin Wall. This drawing became one of the visual symbols of the twentieth century. The work was called "Brotherly Kiss". Then the drawing was interpreted by many artists. Very often bringing a share of irony over the existing political situation in the USSR and the Secretary General himself. Many with whom Brezhnev kissed on a caricature: Vietnamese generals, 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 socialist camp. In general, the images were of a stylized nature.

Why did Brezhnev kiss?

Leonid Ilyich was the first Soviet leader to return the forgotten tradition of the imperial kiss, which is rooted in the court rites of the aristocracy and kings. All the 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 respect. For 18 years he retained this "trend".

With whom did Brezhnev kiss?

On the cartoon, in the main, depicted prominent political figures, military or party comrades in arms. But another story is also known, connected with the famous "triple Brezhnev". By the way, the so-called strange ritual of the secretary general was called: first on both cheeks, then on the lips. And try to get out of here! However, aware of this welcome tradition of Leonid Ilyich, the Cuban leader, not wanting to look like a laughingstock in his homeland, came up with a trick. From the airplane of the plane Fidel Castro came down with a smoking cigar, which did not allow Brezhnev to kiss the Cuban. However, not everyone treated so disparagingly the strange tradition of Leonid Ilyich. The passionate kiss of Indira Gandhi and the Secretary General of the USSR, pictured in the photo, is displayed in her museum-apartment in a prominent place, next to other relics of this great woman.