The Guardian newspaper has just made available this gem of an interview from its archives - an interview with Lenin conducted in 1919.

The (unnamed) author gives short shrift to the rumour that an elite corps of Chinese guards was defending Lenin…

It is always being said that Lenin is guarded by Chinese. There were no Chinese here. I entered, mounted the hill, and drove across to the building where Lenin lives, in the direction of the large platform where formerly stood the Alexander statue, now removed. At the foot of the staircase were two more soldiers, Russian youths, but still no Chinese. I went up by a lift to the top floor, where I found two other young Russian soldiers, but no Chinese, nor in any of the three visits which I paid to the Kremlin did I see any.

Even better was Lenin’s response to the question about censorship in Russia…

“They censor novels in free, democratic France!”