What is remarkable is the Don Cemetery

The Don Cemetery, located in the south-west of Moscow, is one of the most significant historical necropolises of the capital. Many figures who have left a notable mark in Russian history, politics, culture and science are buried on it. Let's take a closer look at this architectural and historical site.

From Russian History

About the date of the foundation of many historical and architectural objects, existing for many centuries, we can judge only approximately. Don cemetery in Moscow does not apply to them. Historical sources preserved the exact date of the first burial on it, this is 1591 year. The cemetery was traditionally opened at the Donskoi Monastery, founded in the same year on the outskirts of Moscow. It was erected to commemorate the victory over the Crimean Khan Girey and was named after the Don Icon of the Mother of God. It was this icon that Sergius of Radonezh blessed Prince Dmitry for the Battle of Kulikovo. Donskoi monastery for centuries was one of the most significant spiritual centers of the Russian Orthodox Church. Its architectural ensemble has become a unique collection of monuments, illustrating the development of Russian architecture from the Middle Ages to the present day.

On the Pogost of the Donskoi Monastery

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the place of the last resting of many significant people in Russia was the Don Cemetery. Moscow, the ancient capital of the Russian state, was located in close proximity to it at the time of its foundation. And in process of natural growth of the city the Donskoi monastery together with the necropolis first entered the territory of Moscow, and then ceased to be considered its outskirts. But as the burial place of the highest aristocracy and nobility, the Don cemetery became known even in the second half of the eighteenth century. This pogost was considered one of the most respected and prestigious not only in Moscow, but throughout Russia. Not every mortal could be honored to be buried on him. Nevertheless, the Old Don Cemetery is a burial place for people from different social strata of Russian society. Here are the graves of the participants of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Decembrist revolutionaries, prominent state and public figures, writers and artists.

Don cemetery in Moscow today

The total area of the historical churchyard is currently about 13 hectares. The modern Don cemetery is divided into Old and New. Each of the two territories has a separate entrance and is open to free access. In the administrative sense, the Don Cemetery is a structural subdivision of the State Unitary Enterprise "Ritual". It is this organization that provides care for the graves and the maintenance of the churchyard in the proper form. Since the end of the twenties, a crematorium functioned on the territory of the cemetery, and burials of urns with ashes were placed in the walls of the columbariums located here. There are no burials on the territory of the Don cemetery at present. Exceptions to this rule are allowed very rarely.

Last burials

But still new graves in the cemetery sometimes appear. Decisions on burial in a historical cemetery are taken at the highest state level. Thus, on an exceptional basis, in the Donskoye cemetery in October 2005, the death of the Commander of the White Army, General AI Denikin and the Russian philosopher IA Il'in, died in emigration. These people returned to Russia after death, according to their will. And in August 2008, the outstanding Russian writer, publicist and public figure AI Solzhenitsyn was buried in the historical graveyard.