MyMemeCards editorial team
Watch the ref
Nobody has added this meme's ref yet. Got the original video or post?
In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Lenin, grib” is a legendary card of the Russian Memes pack, number 295 of the collection, and the 4th best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Lenin, grib” meme mean?
People cite "Lenin was a mushroom" when someone builds a very serious, well-argued case that is entirely false or absurd. The phrase gets used to mock an expert-sounding speech that impresses through form while the substance falls apart, or to describe any far-fetched theory presented with the confidence of an established scientific fact.
Where does the “Lenin, grib” meme come from?
"Lenin was a mushroom" was a televised hoax broadcast on 17 May 1991 on Leningrad Television, in the Soviet Union. Musician and composer Sergey Kuryokhin, a pioneer of Russian experimental rock, was interviewed by journalist Sergey Sholokhov and claimed, through a chain of pseudo-scientific arguments delivered with total seriousness, that Vladimir Lenin had actually been a mushroom. The staging, broadcast within the very earnest context of Soviet television at the time, was enough to fool part of the audience and lodge the phrase in Russian popular culture as a symbol of an absurd claim built with total confidence.
- 1991Broadcast of the "Lenin was a mushroom" hoax on Leningrad Television, 17 May, featuring Sergey Kuryokhin and journalist Sergey Sholokhov.
How to use the “Lenin, grib” meme
- A coworker strings together well-phrased but false arguments, and someone replies "Lenin was a mushroom."
- The hoax gets cited to describe a conspiracy theory presented with academic seriousness.
- It is used to mock a speech that sounds convincing in form but is empty in substance.
Also searched as
- Lenin grib
- Lenin is a mushroom
- lenin was a mushroom meme
- lenin was a mushroom meaning
- lenin was a mushroom origin
- sergey kuryokhin lenin mushroom
- lenin is a mushroom hoax
The “Lenin, grib” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 295 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Legendary |
| Collection | Russian Memes pack |
| Fame | 90/100 · #4 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 40 MemeCoins (120 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Lenin, grib” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Lenin, grib comes out of the Russian Memes pack as a legendary card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 40 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Lenin, grib”
More cards of the Russian Memes pack
Frequently asked questions
What is "Lenin was a mushroom"?
A 1991 Soviet TV hoax in which musician Sergey Kuryokhin claimed, with total seriousness, that Lenin had actually been a mushroom.
Who started this hoax?
Musician Sergey Kuryokhin, interviewed by journalist Sergey Sholokhov, on Leningrad Television.
Why did this phrase become a meme?
Because it symbolizes an absurd claim built with academic-sounding seriousness, a flaw found in a lot of speeches.
How do I get the Lenin, grib meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Lenin, grib” is a legendary card of the Russian Memes pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Lenin, grib card?
It is a Legendary card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Lenin was a mushroom — Wikipedia · checked on October 29, 2026.
Read next
Want Lenin, grib in your collection?
Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.