A poll timed to the 143rd birthday of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin (April 22) shows that the majority of Russians consider his role played in the country’s history as positive.

      Some 57 percent of Russians who took part in the survey spoke positively of Lenin, while 20 percent described his role in Russia’s history as “negative,” the Public Opinion Foundation pollster said.

      According to the poll, most Russians (61 percent) think that Lenin, whose embalmed body has been on display in a mausoleum on Red Square since his death, should be laid to rest.

      Over a half of respondents (59 percent) said it was important to commemorate Lenin’s birthday, while 31 percent think the opposite.

      The survey compiled face-to-face answers given by 1,500 people from 100 towns and villages in 43 Russian regions.