Lenin's Transformation: Mushroom Revolution

In the final years of the USSR, a hoax was perpetrated by Soviet musician and artist Sergey Kuryokhin and journalist Sergey Sholokhov, claiming that Vladimir Lenin had become a mushroom. The hoax took the form of a television interview, in which Kuryokhin, impersonating a historian, claimed that Lenin had consumed large quantities of psychedelic mushrooms and eventually transformed into a mushroom and a radio wave. The timing of the hoax was crucial to its success, as it coincided with the glasnost period of the Soviet Union, when censorship was easing and there were many revelations about the country's history. The hoax tapped into the cultural and ideological changes happening in Soviet society at the time, and its impact was likely far greater than its creators imagined.

The hoax was a televised interview on 'The Fifth Wheel'

The hoax was a televised interview on The Fifth Wheel, a popular investigative journalism show akin to 60 Minutes in the US. It was hosted by the trusted and well-respected film critic and journalist, Sergei Sholokhov. The show was already known for its sensational revelations about Soviet history, so the content of the interview was not entirely out of place.

In the interview, musician and artist Sergey Kuryokhin, impersonating a historian, presented his 'findings' that Vladimir Lenin had consumed large quantities of psychedelic mushrooms and, as a result, eventually became a mushroom and a radio wave. Kuryokhin's argument was built on a series of logical fallacies and appeals to various authorities, creating the illusion of a reasoned argument.

The timing of the hoax was critical to its success. It was broadcast on 17 May 1991, during the glasnost period, when censorship in the Soviet Union was easing and many revelations about the country's history were coming to light. The Soviet Union was also in a state of cultural change and political isolation, with growing public interest in Lenin's biology, life, and death.

The hoax had a significant impact, with a group of party members even appealing to the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU to verify the claim. It also sparked a range of mushroom-themed jokes and puns among Soviet citizens, adding a whimsical touch to the serious business of revolution.

Kuryokhin impersonated a historian

Sergey Anatolyevich Kuryokhin was a Russian composer, pianist, music director, experimental artist, film actor, and writer. He was an influential figure in the Saint Petersburg music scene of the 1980s and early 1990s. In May 1991, he gained fame for creating one of the first popular media viruses in Russian media. He appeared on the popular talk show Fifth Wheel, presenting "proof" that Lenin was a mushroom. This satirical act of performance art was broadcast live on Russian television.

The timing of the hoax contributed significantly to its success. It occurred during the glasnost period in the Soviet Union, a time of cultural change and relaxed censorship, which led to many revelations about the country's history being presented in a sensational manner. Soviet television had previously been regarded as conservative, so this unusual content captured the attention of the audience. The hoax took advantage of the public's curiosity about the country's past and their desire for investigative journalism.

The hoax had a significant impact, as it played upon the cultural and political atmosphere of the time. It reflected the societal changes occurring in the waning days of the Soviet Union and the opening up of Russian culture. The idea that Lenin was a mushroom became a legendary tale in Soviet history, with mushroom-themed jokes and puns spreading among the Soviet citizens. It also sparked discussions and appeals from party members to clarify the veracity of the claim, demonstrating the power of media and its influence on public perception.

He cited sources like MIT and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

In 1991, during the glasnost period, Soviet musician Sergey Kuryokhin and reporter Sergey Sholokhov collaborated on a televised hoax claiming that Vladimir Lenin had become a mushroom. In an interview on the program "The Fifth Wheel," Kuryokhin impersonated a historian and cited various sources, including MIT and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, to support his claim.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was a Russian-born scientist and mathematician who is often regarded as the father of astronautics and human spaceflight. Tsiolkovsky lost his hearing at the age of nine due to scarlet fever and was homeschooled thereafter. He developed an interest in mathematics and physics and began contemplating the possibility of space travel as a teenager. He is known for his visionary ideas about humanity's future in space, including the concept of escape velocity and the use of multi-stage rockets fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. During his lifetime, he published over 500 works on space travel and related subjects, including designs for space rockets, steerable rocket engines, and space stations.

MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a Space Exploration Initiative that fosters open-access projects and builds communities. The initiative includes projects such as an interplanetary cookbook and STEAM outreach programs with DIY guidelines for climate-sensing cubesats. MIT also conducts parabolic flights, suborbital launches, and International Space Station missions to test projects in microgravity and study the effects of zero-g, radiation, and launch loads. The Space Exploration Initiative aims to democratize access to space exploration and make it engaging and accessible to millions of people through DIY instruments, experiments, sensors, and satellites.

By invoking the authority of MIT and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Kuryokhin added a layer of plausibility to his outlandish claim about Lenin. The hoax was successful due to its timing during a period of cultural change and the relaxation of censorship in the Soviet Union, as well as the serious and investigative nature of the television program on which it was presented.

The hoax came during a time of cultural change in Russia

The hoax emerged during a time of significant cultural change in Russia, specifically during the glasnost period, when censorship in the Soviet Union was waning, and many revelations about the country's history were being presented in sensational forms. The hoax also occurred during the era of perestroika, when regulations were relaxed, leading to an opening up of Russian culture. This period marked a paradoxical transformation within Soviet ideological discourse, as the Party's attempts to revitalise Soviet ideology by returning to Lenin's original words had the opposite effect, undermining the credibility and authority of the communist regime.

The hoax itself was a televised interview aired on 17 May 1991, on Leningrad Television's investigative program, "Pyatoe Koleso" ("The Fifth Wheel"). It featured Soviet musician Sergey Kuryokhin, impersonating a historian, and reporter Sergey Sholokhov. Kuryokhin, known for his provocative performance art, constructed a seemingly logical argument that Vladimir Lenin had consumed large quantities of psychedelic mushrooms and eventually transformed into a mushroom and a radio wave. He cited various authoritative sources to support his claims, creating the illusion of a plausible argument.

The timing of the hoax was crucial to its success. According to Alexei Yurchak, an associate professor of socio-cultural and linguistic anthropology, the cultural and political climate of 1991 made it possible for such a hoax to take hold in the popular consciousness of Soviet people. The hoax capitalised on the growing interest in Lenin's life, biological traits, and interest in nature during this period. It also coincided with a time when Soviet television was regarded as conservative, and the public was eager for investigative journalism that revealed hidden truths about the country's history.

The hoax had a significant impact, with some party members even appealing to the Leningrad Regional Committee of the CPSU to clarify the veracity of Kuryokhin's claims. The absurdity of the hoax and its timing during a period of cultural and ideological shifts in Russia likely contributed to its success and enduring legacy in the country's history.

It sparked mushroom-themed jokes and puns

The theory that Lenin became a mushroom sparked a flurry of jokes and puns among Soviet citizens, adding a whimsical touch to the serious business of revolution. This was yet another piece in the cultural puzzle that was slowly being revealed during a time of incredible cultural change in Russia.

The idea of Lenin's transformation into a mushroom became a closely guarded secret, known only to his "mushroom comrades". He continued his revolutionary activities, leading the mushrooms in their fight for equality and freedom. He even coined the slogan, "Mushrooms of the world, unite!" which became a rallying cry for the fungal revolution.

The mushroom-themed jokes and puns that emerged included slogans such as "From mushroom to movement" and "Lenin: the original fun-guy". These slogans played on the idea of Lenin's transformation and added a lighthearted element to the revolutionary discourse.

The hoax was created by Soviet musician and artist Sergey Kuryokhin and reporter Sergey Sholokhov. It was first broadcast on 17 May 1991, on Leningrad Television. Kuryokhin, impersonating a historian, claimed that Lenin consumed large quantities of psychedelic mushrooms and eventually became a mushroom and a radio wave. He built a loosely logical case for this transformation, citing various sources to create the illusion of a plausible argument.

The timing of the hoax played a significant role in its success, as it came during the glasnost period when censorship in the Soviet Union was easing, leading to many revelations about the country's history. The hoax took advantage of the cultural change in Russia and the search for the "true Lenin", as Soviet citizens grappled with the unraveling of the Soviet communist project.

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