The question of exactly what Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was suffering from and what caused his death at the age of 53 remains a subject of sharp debates among historians and doctors. The official diagnosis adopted during the Soviet period stated that the cause of death was widespread cerebral atherosclerosis, leading to impaired blood supply and hemorrhage. However, there are several alternative versions that are actively discussed in scientific and journalistic literature. Official Diagnosis and Its Features According to the official conclusion, Lenin suffered from severe cerebral atherosclerosis. The disease was accompanied by a number of serious complications. In 1921, he suffered his first stroke, after which the right side of his body became paralyzed. Despite this, he managed to recover partially. In 1922-1923, the leader's condition worsened. Throughout 1923, he experienced several more strokes, which led to progressive loss of speech and mobility. In the last years of his life, he was almost immobilized. He died on January 21, 1924. Autopsy confirmed severe damage to the brain vessels, which became the basis for the official diagnosis. Alternative Version: Neurosyphilis The most serious and discussed alternative is the version that Lenin suffered from neurosyphilis — a complication of syphilis that affects the nervous system and the brain. This viewpoint is actively promoted by neurologist Valery Novoselov, who studied the archival \"Diary of the History of the Disease of V.I. Ulyanov\". According to his research, the diagnosis of \"neurosyphilis\" is not his modern hypothesis. He claims that the treating doctors of Lenin, including such leading specialists as Max Nonne and Alexei Kozhevnikov, diagnosed this disease from the very beginning of treatment in May 1922 and conducted the corresponding therapy. The treatment included the use of heavy metal drugs — bismuth, mercury, and arsenic, which was a standard practice for combating syphilis at that time. No ... Read more