“Triple Brezhnev”: how world leaders escaped kisses with the Secretary General

The record for the longest kiss was set by a married couple from Thailand – the champion couple kissed inseparably for 58 hours and 36 minutes. According to the rules of the annual special competition, the couple spent all this time on their feet, and fed through a straw. The winners were awarded with money and diamond rings. In general, kissing has a very ancient history. How did they replace the signature in the time of Ivan the Terrible? Where did Brezhnev have such a craving for kisses? And what trick helped Fidel Castro to avoid kissing the Soviet General Secretary? Talks about it program “Unknown History” with Boris Ryzhov on REN TV.

Kissing in Ancient Rome

Kissing was not always only an act of pleasure – in ancient Rome, social status was so emphasized. The slaves kissed the ground at the feet of the master, and the citizens kissed the feet of noble Romans, the edge of the tunic, knee, arm or shoulder. In total, the ancient Romans had several types of specific kisses. A kiss on the hand or cheek was called “osculum” – it was a sign of respect. An ardent kiss – “suavium” – men usually gave to mistresses and getters. But the matrimonial kiss “basium” did not differ in particular passion: the man simply touched his wife’s lips with closed lips.

“Plutarch believed that refugees from Troy shared this practice of kissing with the Romans. The historian Polybius presented a different version: in ancient Rome, pregnant women were forbidden to drink wine. It was believed that it could lead to miscarriage. So kissing your wife was a kind of alcohol test”– said the culturologist Alexandra Demina.

The custom of the wedding kiss

According to historians, the custom of a wedding kiss also came from Ancient Rome. At Russian feasts, the groom kissed not only the bride, but also kissed his father-in-law on the shoulder. Such kisses were a vow to live in peace and harmony.

“The kiss has become a symbol of trust. By the way, the word kiss itself comes from the ancient root” whole “. When kissing, they wished a person integrity, that is, health, well-being”the expert noted.

Tselovalniki in Russia

In Russia, kisses served as a kind of oath. That is how the position of a kisser appeared – a district or town official who served as a policeman or judge. Before taking office, such a person promised to work conscientiously and solemnly kissed the cross. Russian merchants sealed deals with kisses. According to historians, Ivan the Terrible did the same – a kiss replaced the king’s signature during negotiations with foreign ambassadors.

“Ivan the Terrible kissed not a foreign ambassador with whom he concluded an agreement, but a cross. The representative of the church took the agreement, put it under the Gospel and at the same time read the oath. The king repeated the oath, kissed the cross and then the document”– said the culturologist.

The custom of christening

It was customary for Russian tsars to kiss on Easter with close nobles, but in 1840 Nicholas I introduced the custom of christening with mere mortals. For the first time, the emperor kissed his retinue, soldiers and Cossack guards. Later, Nicholas II set a kind of record of kisses with subjects. In 1896, on Easter, the sovereign kissed almost 500 people three times.

“At the same time, the participants in the action were warned in advance that their beards were cut short so as not to stab the emperor. Nevertheless, contemporaries noted that Nicholas II’s cheek was still swollen”– Demina shared the details.

“Triple Brezhnev”

But Brezhnev became the real champion in kissing among statesmen. According to legend, Leonid Ilyich learned the salutatory kiss from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during an official meeting in 1968.

“In the East, this tradition was quite common, and Brezhnev liked it. A lot of political leaders in the international arena “suffered” from his kisses”– emphasized the candidate of historical sciences Anastasia Nazukina.

Among the people, the signature kiss of the Secretary General on both cheeks, and then on the lips, was wittily nicknamed “triple Brezhnev.” This dubious honor was awarded to all foreign rulers who met with Leonid Ilyich.

“In 1979, a friendly kiss with Joseph Broz Tito was so strong that, according to rumors, he even hurt the Yugoslav leader’s lip. The longest kiss in the world was recorded during a meeting between Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev and Todor Zhivkov – three hours. During this time, the Soviet leader managed to make a welcoming speech and listened to the return speech of the Bulgarian leader”– said the culturologist.

How foreign rulers escaped Brezhnev’s kiss

Of course, not all foreign guests wanted to get so close to the Soviet General Secretary. For example, the Romanian politician Nicolae Ceausescu was extremely squeamish and terrified of germs, so he avoided kissing Brezhnev in every possible way. “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher also dodged the salutatory kisses, citing English restraint. And Cuban leader Fidel Castro came up with his signature trick that saved him from a friendly kiss.

“Fidel Castro is such a brutal, strong man, the leader of the revolution. It is very difficult to imagine him kissing Brezhnev. He was looking for a way out of the situation for a long time. cigar, which simply did not allow him to do this manipulation already”– said Nazukina.

After Brezhnev’s death in 1982, the custom of kissing Soviet leaders gradually faded away. Welcoming kisses have replaced firm handshakes.

Different versions of historical events, amazing episodes of history, little-known facts and interesting theories – study all this and much more in the Unknown History program with Boris Ryzhov on REN TV.