The book is a systematic study of the social conditions and ideological prerequisites that contributed to the formation of the cult of V. I. Lenin in the Soviet Union, based on the use of rare archival materials. The author reveals the history of the formation of the charismatic image of the leader in the history of the Bolshevik Party and in the first years of Soviet power, as well as the nature of the assimilation of this image by the consciousness of the broad masses. Much attention is paid to the activities of the Lenin Funeral Commission and the very difficult circumstances of the creation of the Mausoleum of the revolutionary leader. The work of the German scientist is based on an extensive empirical base and at the same time touches on serious theoretical problems associated with the analysis of the specifics of a political cult.