Evening star., 1953-03-06
Line Miles Long
Files Past Stain
Body in Moscow
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ConL1nueQ FROM FifSC Page.)
headed by Nikita s. Khruschev
now is working on funeral plans.
No date has been announced
for the final services nor has.
there been any word where Stall
In is to be buried.
Hundreds File Into Churches.
The Hall of Columns is only
Q few hundred yards from the
great mausoleum in Red Square
where v. I. Lenin, Stalin'S pre-
deceSSor and the father of Rus
sian communism, lies embalmed
in a glass coffin.
Moscow was cold, windy and
unpleasant today. but life went
on about as usual. Hundreds still
were filing into churches to place
candles before ikons. There were
tears in the eyes of some, some
had grim, set faces. many crossed
themselves repeatedly.
There were small crowds in
Red Square, walking about it
slowly. gazing sadly at the build
ings of the Kremlin compound,
from which for so many years
Stain welded his vast power.
It was in Red Square that Stain
had been seen so many times,
reviewing paradeS on May Day
and on November 7, anniversary
Of the revolution in 1917, and on
other state occasions.
In front of the House of Trade
Unions there is a picture of
Stain in his generalissimo's uni
form. decorated with evergreenS,
a symbol that his memory will
live. Moscow's embassies and
legations. including the Ameri-
can, lowered their flags to half
staff.
The death of the man who
sparked the development of Rus
sla from near-feudal farmland
to great industrial power ex-
ceeded only by the United States
was first announced by Moscow
Radio at 4:07 am. today local
time (8.07 pm. Thursday, EST),
IN a broadcast beamed to Soviet
provincial newspapers.
Two hours later, Moscow Ra-
dos star announcer, Yuri Levi
tan. told the saddened nation
that its chief had died. Levitan
twice read both the official an
nouncement and the final bulle-
tin from the 10 Kremlin doctors,
who had been in constant at
tendance on Stain since his
stroke Sunday. The radio then
played the solemn last movement
of Tschaikowsky's "Pathetique"
symphony.
People Appear Stunned.
The official announcement
said:
There has ceased to beat the
heart of comrade-in -in-arms and
geniuS-c -continuer of the cause of
Lenin, the wise leader and teach
er Of the Communist Party and
the Soviet people-Joseph Wis
sarionovich Stain. The death
OF Stain, who gave all his life
to dedicated service to the great
cause of communism is the heav-
lest loss for the party and work.
ers Of the Soviet nation and for
all humanity"
1t was issued in the name of
Communist Party's central COM
mittee, the Council Of Ministers
government cabinet} and the
Presidium of the Supreme So
Wet.
The Russian people appeared
stunned and grief-stricken by
the news. To many Stain had
seemed like a father. "EycnSe
me-" said one Muscovite chauf-
feur of his own tears, "he was a
real person"
All over Moscow, black -bor-
oeIeu IeQ IldgS snapped IN Cne
cold wind that whipped the
W-blanketed city. Thousands
of yards of black crepe were be-
ing hung on buildings and homes.
Son and Daughter at Side.
The House of Unions-where
the bier of virtually every dead
Soviet leader has been placed to
be viewed by the people-was
made ready to receive Stalin's
body. A huge portrait Of the
dead leader hung above the main
doors.
Stains fatal brain hemor-
rhage struck him Sunday night