Donskoy cemetery located in the south-west of Moscow, is one of the most significant historic cemeteries of the capital.On it are buried many figures who have left an imprint on Russian history, politics, culture and science.Look closely to the architectural and historical sights.
From Russian history
The date of the foundations of many historical and architectural sites, existing for centuries, we can only judge about.Don Cemetery in Moscow, not one of them.Historical sources have kept the exact date of the first grave on it, it's 1591.Cemetery traditionally opened when founded in the same year, on the outskirts of Moscow's Donskoi Monastery.It was erected to commemorate the victory over the Crimean Khan Giray and named in honor of the Don Mother of God.It is this icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh blessed Prince Dmitry Kulikov battle on.Donskoy Monastery for centuries has been one of the most important spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church.Its skyline has become a unique collection of monuments, illustrating the development of Russian architecture since the Middle Ages to the present day.
the graveyard of the Donskoi Monastery
There is nothing surprising in the fact that the final resting place of many important people in Russia was precisely Don cemetery.Moscow, the ancient capital of the Russian state, located him in the vicinity at the time of more bases.And as the natural growth of the city in conjunction with the Donskoy Monastery necropolis first became part of the territory of Moscow, and then ceased to be its outskirts.But as the burial place of the aristocracy and the nobility of the Don cemetery became known in the second half of the eighteenth century.This graveyard was considered one of the most respected and prestigious not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia.The honor of being buried in it could be worthy not every mortal.Nevertheless, old Don cemetery is the burial place of people from different social strata of Russian society.Here are the graves of members of the Patriotic War of 1812, the revolutionary Decembrists, prominent statesmen and public figures, writers and artists.
Don Cemetery in Moscow today
The total area of the historic churchyard currently is about 13 hectares.Modern Don cemetery is divided into old and new.Each of the two areas has a private entrance and open for free visits.In an administrative sense, Don cemetery is a subdivision of the State Unitary Enterprise "Ritual".This organization provides care for the graves in the churchyard and the content of the proper form.Since the end of the twenties in the cemetery functioned crematorium and made burial urns with ashes into the walls here are columbaria.No burials in the cemetery of the Donskoy is currently not possible.Exceptions to this rule are allowed only rarely.
last burial
Yet new graves in the cemetery sometimes appear.Decisions about the burial at a historic cemetery taken at the highest state level.So, as an exception to the Donskoy Cemetery in October 2005 the reburial of the dead in exile commander of the White Army General Anton Denikin and Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin.These people returned to Russia after the death, according to their will.And in August 2008 at the historic graveyard was buried a prominent Russian writer, publicist and public figure Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
