Famous graves at the Novodevichy cemetery. Novodevichy Cemetery – Rest of the Great (55 photos)

The Vagankovskoe cemetery is probably the most famous necropolis of our time. The history of this place began almost three hundred years ago and continues to this day. It is unlikely that it will ever be possible to establish an exact list of everyone who is buried on Vagankovskoe cemetery at least in the last hundred years, not to mention throughout its long history. The list of the deceased who found their final refuge here, according to the most conservative estimates, should have numbered about half a million names. However, many burials remain unnamed.

and the foundation of the cemetery

One of the last outbreaks of plague in Russia in 1770-1772 was marked not only by mass death of the population, but also by significant popular unrest in Moscow and its surroundings. The unrest was suppressed, however, by decree of Empress Catherine II, dead citizens were prohibited from being buried within the city.

The preventive sanitary measure had an effect, the disease receded, and a necropolis grew up near Moscow in the village of Novoye Vagankovo, where ordinary Muscovites were buried.

Who is buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery? Of course, no one kept a list of burials in those distant times. In the 18th and 19th centuries, those who died from epidemics, soldiers who fell in the Battle of Borodino, those who died on the Khodynka Field and many other victims of wars and historical tragedies found their final refuge there.

The Great Patriotic War added mass graves and monuments to the defenders of the city to the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Do they remember everyone? Who is buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery among celebrities

Today, the biggest thing we associate with the graves of everyone’s favorite actors, cultural and artistic figures, politicians - our contemporaries. Meanwhile, many people forget that, in fact, this place became a necropolis of celebrities more than a hundred years ago. If at the very beginning of its history the Vagankovskoe cemetery could only “boast” of nameless mass graves and modest graves of ordinary people, then after half a century it turned into the resting place of the greatest people of its era.

Among those buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, famous names 19th century. These are politicians, military men, cultural figures, writers and artists. Next to the magnificent graves of famous historical figures side by side are modest burial places of now almost forgotten people, whose names are known only to specialists.

Memory of the Decembrist uprising

The list of those buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery can begin with the names of the Decembrists. Currently, only seven of their graves have survived. In one fence there are the tombstones of Alexander Filippovich Frolov and Pavel Sergeevich Bobrishchev-Pushkin, next to them is a pink marble stele of Ivan Nikolaevich Khotyaintsev.

On the main alley is the grave of Mikhail Alexandrovich Bestuzhev. His daughters and sister Elena are also buried here. A great woman, whose name is undeservedly forgotten by her descendants. It was she who preserved for history the most valuable archival artifact - the famous Bestuzhev gallery of portraits of the Decembrists, taking it out of Siberia after the death of her brother.

A monument made of black granite crowns the grave of the Decembrist Alexander Petrovich Belyaev, and the grave of Nikolai Alexandrovich Zagoretsky is nearby.

Friends of A. S. Pushkin

Few people remember where the burial place of the great poet himself is. No, of course, he does not rest in the Vagankovskoye cemetery. The grave of the classic of Russian literature is located in the Svyatogorsk Monastery, in the Pskov region. Nevertheless, of those of his contemporaries who are buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, many were closely connected with A.S. Pushkin and his family.

Thus, near the church ensemble there are the graves of the poet’s close friends: Count Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy and the famous theatrical figure and composer Alexei Nikolaevich Verestovsky.

Masters of the Brush

Famous people buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery did not always, after ending their lives, come to this place in glory and honor. Especially if we were talking about creative people who devoted all their strength to art and thought little about worldly affairs.

The host of outstanding artists, painters and graphic artists who are buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery is impressive. Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, the great painter of the Romantic era and the founder of realistic portraiture in Russian painting, is buried in a modest grave. He left more than three thousand portraits of his contemporaries and it was his talent and brushwork that Russian art owes to the development of realism and the emergence of the type portrait.

V. A. Tropinin was the first famous artist, buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. Following him, this Moscow necropolis became the last refuge for such masters of the brush as Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, Vasily Vladimirovich Pukirev, Nikolai Alexandrovich Klodt, Aristarkh Vasilyevich Lentulov and many others. The Peredvizhniki and avant-garde artists, illustrators, decorators, graphic artists and painters who worked in the 19th and 20th centuries are buried here.

People who were buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery and left an indelible mark on history are today mostly forgotten by their contemporaries. Many graves are dilapidated, some do not even have memorial plaques. Nevertheless, their names are gradually being returned.

The grave of the author of “The Rooks...”

At the Vagankovskoye cemetery there is the grave of the creator of the cult, or, as they say, “archetypal” work of Russian painting. Everyone still knows the famous work “The Rooks Have Arrived” from school. However, few people know tragic fate its creator.

Alexey Kondratievich Savrasov is one of the founders of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, a brilliant painter and teacher. Alas, recent years he spent his life in poverty. Personal tragedies that the artist could not cope with, alcoholism and constant need led to the fact that he found himself completely alone, forgotten and sick. He died in a Moscow hospital for the poor.

Initially, his grave was crowned with the cheapest wooden cross and a modest inscription on it read: “Academician Alexey Kondratievich Savrasov. Born May 12, 1830, died September 26, 1897.” The boards on the cross rotted and collapsed, eventually it disappeared, and the burial place of the great painter was abandoned and forgotten for many years.

However, the words of Isaac Levitan about Savrasov turned out to be prophetic: “One of the most profound Russian artists has passed away... From Savrasov appeared lyricism in landscape painting and boundless love for his native land... and this undoubted merit of his in the field of Russian art will never be forgotten.”

Today, his grave at the Vagankovskoye cemetery is decorated with a granite obelisk with a laconic inscription: “Outstanding Russian artist Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov, 1830-1897.”

The last journey of Melpomene's servants

The list of celebrities buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery is impressive. Paradoxically, the necropolis that emerged as a result greatest tragedies in the history of the state, it became a favorite burial place for theater and film actors, directors, musicians and composers.

According to legend, the tradition of burying people of the acting profession here came from one of the Moscow mayors, by whose decree it was instructed to bury acting people at Vagankovsky. Perhaps because this cemetery was the largest and it was quick and convenient to get to, which reduced the cost of funerals, which were often carried out at public expense. However, there is another mystical coincidence: it was on the site of the future necropolis that jesters and buffoons settled in the 17th century.

Today, the number of beloved actors, musicians and singers buried here is difficult to accurately determine. The actors buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery were idols of their time, and the glory of many has not been forgotten to this day.

At the entrance stands a snow-white iceberg monument in the constructivist style on the grave of Alexander Abdulov. The original monument-memorial in the form of film frames reminds of everyone’s beloved Mikhail Pugovkin. Nearby is the grave of “the best Watson in the world,” Vitaly Solomin. Actors Andrei Mironov, Oleg Dal, Leonid Filatov, directors and playwright, playwright and satirist Grigory Gorin. It’s impossible to count all the celebrities who are buried at the Vagankovskoye Cemetery who enriched the Russian and world culture. Below is a list (far from complete, of course, of celebrities not mentioned in the text):

• - writer.
• Alov Alexander - director.
• Bogatyrev Yuri - actor.
• Braginsky Emil - playwright.
• Burkov Georgy - actor.
• Balter Alla - actress.
• Vitsin Georgy - actor.
• Voroshilov Vladimir - presenter.
• Spiridonov Vadim - actor.
• Garin Erast - actor.
• Glebov Peter - actor.
• Gluzsky Mikhail - actor.
• Evgeniy Dvorzhetsky is an actor.
• Kaverin Veniamin - writer.
• Kononov Mikhail - actor.
• Levtova Marina - actress.
• Liepa Maris - dancer.
• Vlad Listyev is a journalist.
• Migulya Vladimir - composer.
• Rozov Victor - playwright.
• Rostotsky Andrey - actor.
• Sazonova Nina - actress.
• Samoilov Vladimir - actor.
• - actor.
• Streltsov Eduard is an athlete.
• Tanich Mikhail - poet.
• Seraphim Tulikov - composer.
• Fedorova Zoya - actress.
• Leonid Kharitonov - actor.
• Chekan Stanislav - actor.
• Chukhrai Grigory is a film director.
• Yumatov Georgy - actor.
• Yashin Lev is an athlete.

Two graves of one genius

There is also a monument to Vsevolod Meyerhold. Tragic, like the life of the director himself, the fate of his grave. For a long time, the circumstances and place of Meyerhold’s death were kept secret. Only in 1987 did his real burial place in the cemetery near the Donskoy Monastery become known. A black stone stele with Meyerhold's name was installed on the grave of his tragically deceased wife Zinaida Reich 20 years before the discovery of the real burial place of the theater directing reformer.

"Faithful Galya"

The poet Sergei Yesenin is buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. Rebellious life and tragic death The young genius of poetry attracted the attention of fans and admirers to his resting place. Alas, the grave of Sergei Yesenin is notorious. Neither a bust carved in a block of white marble, nor a granite plinth buried in flowers can erase the sad facts of the history of this burial. One of the cemetery legends says that at night the ghost of a young woman appears near the grave.

“I committed suicide here, although I know that after this even more dogs will be blamed on Yesenin. But he and I don’t care. Everything that is most precious to me is in this grave...”

Perhaps this legend was based on the sad fate of his friend and assistant. A year after the poet’s death, she shot herself at his grave, leaving the famous suicide note. She rests here, next to her idol. The first inscription on the modest grave: “Faithful Galya” very accurately reflected the essence of her feelings for Yesenin and their difficult, drama-filled relationship. However, now the snow-white slab is decorated with long lines from the poet’s letter to her: “Galya, dear! I repeat to you that you are very, very dear to me. And you yourself know that without your participation in my fate there would be a lot of deplorable things.”

The series of suicides that followed at the grave of the “Moscow reveler” shrouded the place in an ominous veil of fatalism and misfortune. In total, 12 people committed suicide here - all women.

Idols of millions

It is difficult to count which celebrities are buried at the Vagankovskoe cemetery and what stories and legends shroud their deaths and resting places. The grave of Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky was no exception. The slightly pretentious monument depicts everyone’s favorite singer and artist, as expressive and eager as he was during his lifetime. On one side there is a portrait, on the other there is an allegory monument, the leitmotif of which was the lines of the artist’s prophetic song “Fasicky Horses.” Pathetic, strange monument. Eyewitnesses to Vysotsky's funeral claimed that his widow Marina Vladi cried when she saw the tombstone and called it an ugly example of socialist realism.

Vysotsky should not have found his last refuge on the main alley. The authorities assigned him a place in the far corner. However, fate intervened in the person of the director of the Vagankovsky cemetery, a great admirer of the work of Vladimir Semyonovich. It was he who allocated an empty place for the funeral at the very entrance, where the singer rests to this day.

The tombstone of another great bard is distinguished by its modesty and brevity. Bulat Okudzhava is also buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. The tombstone is in the form of a large boulder with an intricately executed inscription - the name of the singer and composer. This tombstone can rightfully be considered the most magnificent example of artistic minimalism.

One of the few graves still littered with flowers belongs to Igor Talkov. Another idol of millions, who died tragically at a young age. And his death is shrouded in secrets, rumors and legends, like many of his predecessors who were buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. A photo of the singer in a frame with a carved wooden pediment, reminiscent of a Russian hut, is almost always framed with garlands of carnations and roses. The tombstone itself is decorated in neo-pagan Slavic style. On a black pedestal stands a huge cross made of bronze, the surface of which is decorated with Cyrillic script, and at the base of the pedestal the famous lines “And defeated in battle, I will rise again and sing...” are inscribed in gold.

At the grave of Igor Talkov, as well as at the grave of Sergei Yesenin, there were suicide attempts. Fortunately, in this case, suicide was prevented and the restless fans were saved.

Who are the saints buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery?

There are special graves in this huge necropolis. There are always crowds of people around them; people come here from afar with prayers and requests for help. One of these graves belongs to Father Valentin. Although he was never officially canonized, people sincerely believe in his intercession and consider the grave miraculous.

During his lifetime, Father Valentin was known for his kind disposition and open, generous heart. The poor and orphans, widows and homeless people turned to him for help. The priest took a sincere part in the fate of everyone who sought his protection and support.

It is noteworthy that the exact burial place of Father Valentin is unknown. The priest died in 1908, and in the roaring 20s they wanted to destroy his grave in order to stop the pilgrimage. In 1941, after digging up the supposed burial site, no remains were found. It is believed that, fulfilling the will of Father Valentin, he was buried two meters deeper than it was customary to bury the dead.

Today, at the supposed resting place of the holy father, there are two crosses, literally a meter from each other. The white one, stone, was erected by the great-granddaughter of a clergyman, the second, wooden, was erected by pilgrims. From somewhere there came a belief that it was here, away from the official grave, that the ashes of Father Valentin rested. Both crosses have flowers, candles and there is always a line of people begging for help and thanking them for their intercession.

The Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow is no less famous than the Kremlin; it is a burial place for the dead. The territory of seven and a half hectares of land is the whole history of the Russian people.

History of origin

The Novodevichy cemetery arose next to the monastery of the same name in 1898, which is located on the peninsula in Luzhniki. The monastery was founded by Prince Vasily III and dedicated to the liberation of Smolensk from the Lithuanian invasion.

There are several versions of the origin of the name of the monastery. According to one of them, it came from the field on which it is located. Once upon a time, the Tatars selected Russian girls for themselves. Another version connects the name of the monastery with its first nun, Elena Devochkina.

One way or another, this place has a rich history: the monastery burned down more than once, moved from hand to hand, was used as a laundry, a gym, and a kindergarten.

A cemetery was founded next to the monastery for the rest of the nuns. One of the first to be buried here was the author of the Novodevichy Convent, N. E. Efimov.

For a long period there were few burials in this place. However, over time, the Novodevichy cemetery became one of the most expensive and elite burial places. The graves of celebrities of national and cultural-historical levels are there at every step.

Who was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery?

People from high circles found their last refuge under the Novodevichy Convent. These were statesmen - military leaders and ministers, artists and sculptors, poets and writers, academics and scientists. The individuals buried at Novodevichy Cemetery are known to many. These are (poetess), V. Bryusov (playwright), A. Chekhov and N. Chukovsky (writers), artists and sculptors A. Bubnov, N. Zhukov, V. Svarog, V. Shestakov. There are many relatives of famous politicians here - the wives of Stalin, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Dzerzhinsky.

There were no cheap, let alone free, places at the Novodevichy cemetery. It was and remains one of the richest and most comfortable burial places. In this regard, the graves were repeatedly subjected to abuse and vandalism. After the revolution, in 1917-1920, most of the tombstones, crosses, sculptures and fences were destroyed or taken away.

History of Russia in burials

After October Revolution It was decided to make the Novodevichy cemetery a burial place for “persons with social status" In 1930, the graves of N.V. Gogol, D.V. Venevitinov, S.T. Aksakov, I.I. Levitan, M.N. Ermolova and other public figures were moved to the Novodevichy Cemetery. Celebrity graves take center stage here.

Geographically, the churchyard consists of three parts: the old cemetery (1-4th sections), the new (5-8th) and the newest cemetery (9-11th). During its history, it was expanded three times. About 26,000 people are buried in the necropolis.

Many historical figures are buried on the old site. Among them are M. Bulgakov and his wife, A. N. Tolstoy, V. V. Mayakovsky, I. A. Ilf, S. Ya. Marshak, V. M. Shukshin, V. I. Vernadsky, P. P. Kashchenko, A.I. Abrikosov, I.M. Sechenov, L.M. Kaganovich, V.M. Molotov, V.S. Chernomyrdin, N.S. Alliluyeva (Stalin’s second wife) and many others.

The "new" territory of the cemetery is a columbarium for urns with ashes, which contains about 7,000 urns. There are the ashes of writers A. Tvardovsky and S. Mikhalkov, aircraft designer A. N. Tupolev, and the grave of the great actor of all times - Yuri Nikulin. Politicians B. Yeltsin and N. Khrushchev rest in these places.

The “newest” site is the burials of Russian cultural figures, including E. Leonov, L. Gurchenko, M. Ulyanov, N. Kryuchkov, S. Bondarchuk, A. Schnittke and hundreds of other people.

Novodevichy Cemetery - a tourism destination

The Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow is one of the ten most beautiful and unique burial grounds in the world. It is a cultural and memorial property of Russia, and is also included in the UNESCO heritage list.

It is not surprising that this burial place is on the list of many travel companies in Moscow. Indeed, in addition to the graves of celebrities, the Novodevichy cemetery is filled with works of famous sculptors and architects. The tombstones of the Novodevichy Cemetery were made by such creators as M. Anikushin, E. Vuchetich, S. Konenkov, V. Mukhina, N. Tomsky, G. Schultz. The works were made in the New Russian style; neoclassicism and modernism were also used.

Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow: secrets and mysticism

The land of the Novodevichy cemetery has absorbed a lot of human tears and grief throughout its history. And although it may sound paradoxical, the churchyard gave healing and hope to many women. Perhaps this is all because his fate, like the fate of the monastery, was largely determined by the feminine principle. Here lie many female individuals who were deeply unhappy during their lifetime. They loved and suffered, believed and hoped, but did not find happiness. Now the “sufferers” are in better world, and their energy is capable of healing and healing. She helps to find female happiness - to meet your destiny, get married, give birth to a long-awaited child...

More than one eyewitness claims that strange silhouettes and shadows were noticed during walks around the burial sites. Perhaps this is Abbess Devochkina, who has been protecting these lands for centuries. Maybe it’s Stalin mourning at his wife’s grave. Or maybe Gogol is looking for those who violated his grave? They say that when the writer was reburied, his body lay on its side and without a head. According to one version, the head was stolen by an unknown collector.

The most visited monument at the Novodevichy Cemetery

Many famous people rests at the Novodevichy cemetery. However, not all tourists are attracted to such gloomy places. This churchyard is an exception. There are hundreds of people who want to visit the burial places of great cultural and political figures.

The graves of celebrities at the Novodevichy Cemetery - the most famous and prestigious necropolis in Moscow - are included in the list of “must see” excursion and tourist routes in the Russian capital. The churchyard was founded at the end of the 19th century near the southern wall of the Novodevichy Convent. Subsequently, the burial places of prominent compatriots, major politicians, scientists, and artists were located here.

Yeltsin's grave and government officials at Novodevichy Cemetery

Boris Yeltsin, First President Russian Federation, buried in section 6 of the Novodevichy cemetery (central alley). On the wide tombstone, the Russian tricolor made of red porphyry and sky blue is spread out in monumental folds. Byzantine mosaic and white marble.

The grave of Alexandra Kollontai, a Russian revolutionary of noble origin, is decorated with a sculptural image of her. Kollontai became the world's first female minister, then the plenipotentiary representative of the USSR in Mexico, Norway, Sweden, and in 1944-1945. - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Tombstone of the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in 1958-1964. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev confirms the unspoken rule according to which disgraced statesmen were not buried near the Kremlin wall. The complex political fate of the Soviet leader is symbolically reflected in the tombstone commissioned by Khrushchev’s son by Ernst Neizvestny. Simple, sculpted with maximum portrait resemblance, the face of the First Secretary is surrounded, like an angular spacesuit, by a white and black vertical composition - faith in a bright communist future and the dark legacy of mass repression.

Andrei Gromyko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. “No” of the Soviet foreign policy, was the last person planned to be buried near the Kremlin wall. Nevertheless, the grave was placed at the Novodevichy cemetery at the will of Gromyko himself and at the request of his relatives.

The monumental monument to General Alexander Lebed, governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, who died in a plane crash, depicts the military leader seated, in full dress uniform with a full set of orders.

Viktor Chernomyrdin, Chairman of the Council of Ministers - Government of the Russian Federation in 1992-1998, rests in a paired family grave, decorated with monuments in the traditional Russian style, with carvings in black marble.

The tombstone of Yevgeny Primakov, intelligence officer and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, was a massive monolith of gray granite and a light stone scroll with the text of a poem written by this outstanding politician: “I firmly decided everything: to be in harness until the end, until I won't be exhausted until I fall. And if it becomes unbearably hard, then even then I will not leave the road.”

Famous scientists at the Novodevichy cemetery

Powerful thinkers, founders of scientific directions and schools, who lived extremely fruitfully, are buried in the Novodevichy necropolis.

The snow-white marble monument, covered with a transparent protective case, marks the burial of the Russian cosmist scientist, the outstanding mineralogist Vladimir Vernadsky, who first introduced the terms “biosphere” and “noosphere”. At the base of the monument there is a quote: “We live in a wonderful time when man becomes a geological force changing the face of our planet.”

Tombstone of the brilliant theoretical physicist, laureate Nobel Prize Lev Landau made by Ernst Neizvestny. A block of dark granite with a bust-length sculptural portrait of a scientist rests on a metal column formed by three concave sections.

The grave of geologist and geographer Vladimir Obruchev is marked by a gray granite monolith with a sculpturally detailed portrait and a symbolic image of a geological hammer crossed by a writer's pen. Obruchev perfectly mastered the art of effective time management, successfully combining intensive scientific work with the creation of science fiction works, including such voluminous ones as “Plutonia” and “Sannikov Land”.

Famous composers at the Novodevichy cemetery

The names of the composers buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery have become iconic phenomena in the history of music.

A black marble stele with the dates of the life of Sergei Prokofiev marks the burial place of the world famous author of instrumental concertos, symphonies, seven operas and eleven ballets.

The tombstone of Dmitry Shostakovich, one of the most performed composers in the world, is no less laconic. His numerous works had a significant influence on the development of the musical culture of mankind.

Gogol's unquiet grave. Burials of writers on Novodevichy

The great classic Nikolai Gogol was buried at the Danilovsky cemetery. In 1931, during the liquidation of this monastery graveyard at the height of the fight against religion, the writer’s ashes were transferred to the Novodevichy cemetery. In 1952, over the new grave, instead of the previous cross with a stone base, a sculptural monument stood with the inscription “To the Great Russian Artist, words from the government Soviet Union" In 2009, the tombstone again acquired its previous appearance: only a stone and only a cross.

A special black stone with a lumpy surface, shaped like Golgotha, the site of Christ’s crucifixion, located on Gogol’s original grave, was installed as a tombstone over the burial of another master of words, Mikhail Bulgakov.

The Novodevichy cemetery as a whole has become a real pantheon of writers and poets. Here, under a white stele in the New Russian style, Anton Chekhov rests. The urn with the ashes of the frantic futurist, proletarian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky is buried under a massive slab of dark gray granite. An ancient statue from the Kyrgyz steppes was laid over the grave of the creator of new words, “Chairman of the Globe” Velimir Khlebnikov. The tombstone of the intellectual symbolist Valery Bryusov, who sought inspiration at the intersection of science and poetry, is decorated with an accurate, stylistically consistent profile portrait of the poet. The medallion with a bas-relief profile of Alexei Tolstoy, favored by the Soviet regime, is accompanied by sculptural images of characters from his most monumental works - the novels “Peter the Great” and “Walking in the Torment”. The monument to Alexander Fadeev is complemented by heroes from Krasnodon from the Young Guard. There are no sculptures or portraits at the grave of the wonderful poet Andrei Voznesensky. The tombstone, made according to his own design, is an inclined polished plane of dark granite. It’s as if a large stone ball is about to roll down it, held back from rapid movement down the slope only by a small bronze crucifix.

Steel wing hands, fiery engine of the heart - creators and heroes

Bas-relief and sculptural portraits mark the burial places of outstanding aircraft designers - Pavel Sukhoi (Su fighters), Andrei Tupolev (Tu planes), Semyon Lavochkin (LaGG and La fighters), Alexander Yakovlev (Yak fighters).

The polar pilot Anatoly Lyapidevsky, the first to receive the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and the air marshal, three times Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Pokryshkin, a fighter ace, one of the most successful pilots of the Great Patriotic War, are buried at Novodevichy. Patriotic War.

Space. Earth. Ocean

Above the grave of cosmonaut No. 2 German Titov there is a sculptural portrait of him with an eagle. “Eagle” was Titov’s call sign in radio communications with the Earth. Buried at Novodevichy, cosmonaut and test pilot Georgy Beregovoy, who piloted the Soyuz-3 spacecraft, received the first title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War.

The space theme is displayed on the exclusive tombstone of Yuri Senkevich, who for 30 years was the permanent TV presenter of the Film Travel Club. Senkevich was engaged in medical preparation of space and high-latitude expeditions, took part in ocean voyages on the papyrus boats “Ra” and “Tigris” at the invitation of Thor Heyerdahl. On the tombstone, these voyages are represented by a sculpted wave with a reed ship under straight sail.

Act four, final and eternal

Life is like a play in three acts - exposition, twists and turns and denouement - among stage people there may be a fourth act, which continues in the memory of followers and admirers.

The author of the acting technique of genuine emotions, which has been followed for a hundred years, Konstantin Stanislavsky rests in the Novodevichy cemetery under a red granite slab. On it there is a white vertical curtain stele with the Moscow Art Theater emblem - a seagull, topped with a large Orthodox cross.

At the grave of Stanislavsky's direct follower, Evgeniy Vakhtangov, there is a bronze figure of a woman, whose sadly bowed face is hidden by a cape.

The burial place of the great Maria Ermolova is marked by a vase made of dark polished granite with flowing drapery. A bas-relief profile of the actress is placed on a dark pedestal.

The bas-relief profile of an actor of unique talent, Innokenty Smoktunovsky, is captured in a round medallion on a gray grave boulder. The bronze sculpture of Vyacheslav Tikhonov reproduces the image of the actor in the role of intelligence officer Stirlitz. A white marble rounded stele with a bas-relief Orthodox cross was installed on the grave of Oleg Efremov. The monument to Lyudmila Gurchenko combines black polished granite and snow-white marble with a sculptural image of the actress in full height. The grave of Yuri Yakovlev is overshadowed by a white marble eight-pointed cross, designed in the style of Chekhov's tombstone. The great comedian Yuri Nikulin is forever captured in bronze, sitting on a low curb-pedestal.

At the Novodevichy cemetery there are many memorial places that allow us to remember the great voices of Russia - Chaliapin, Zykin, Yuri Levitan, a whole galaxy of artists, outstanding chess players, film directors, doctors, teachers, architects. This necropolis with twenty-five thousand burials is a real encyclopedia of Russian celebrities.

Novodevichy Cemetery. Lists of celebrities

• Alexander Vertinsky
• Lyudmila Zykina
• Elena Obraztsova
• Galina Vishnevskaya
• Klavdiya Shulzhenko
• Fyodor Chaliapin
• Leonid Utesov
• Yuri Levitan

World chess champions

• Vasily Smyslov
• Mikhail Botvinnik

A galaxy of artists and famous patrons of the arts

• Valentin Serov
• Witold Byalynitsky-Birulya
• Isaac Levitan
• Mikhail Nesterov
• Tretyakov brothers

Actors

• Arkady Raikin
• Yuri Nikulin

Film directors

• Sershgay Eisenstein
• Sergei Bondarchuk
• Eldar Ryazanov

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Novodevichy Cemetery is considered the second most important burial place in Moscow. At the same time, it is one of the oldest. The cemetery appeared back in 1898 on the southern side of the Novodevichy Convent. More than a hundred years ago it was considered an honorable place for a final resting place due to the proximity of the holy monastery.

During the Soviet Union, Novodevichye turned into a real pantheon of national heroes and outstanding figures of art and science. Only burial near the Kremlin wall can be more prestigious.

History of Novodevichy

The very first graves on the territory of the modern Novodevichy cemetery appeared in the 16th century. But then these were isolated cases of burials. Here some of the inhabitants of the monastery found their last earthly refuge. The number of their graves gradually increased. Over time, they were joined by the tombs of noble people.

In the 50s of the 20th century, the territory of the Novodevichy cemetery was actively developed. It was expanded by adding soil on the southern slope. The territory was fenced with a brick wall, which adjoined the ancient monastery walls. Now on Novodevichy there are 11 sites on which more than 26 thousand people are buried. To receive the honor of being buried in this place, during your lifetime you must be an outstanding person, a son (or daughter) of whom the Motherland could be proud.

Who lies here

Novodevichy Cemetery is, in a sense, a Russian historical museum. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Register. Some of the first “sovereign” personalities buried on its territory were relatives of Ivan the Terrible: his daughter Annushka, as well as his daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law. High-born nuns also found peace here, and in the past - the princesses Ekaterina and Evdokia of Miloslavsky, Sophia, the sister of Tsar Peter I, and his wife Evdokia Lopukhina.

Later, representatives of famous Russian families were buried here: princes Sergei Trubetskoy, Alexander Muravyov, Decembrist Matvey Muravyov-Apostol, Count Alexey Uvarov, etc. During the years of Soviet power, the ashes of the great author of “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” Nikolai Gogol and worldwide famous opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin (the latter’s ashes were transported from France several decades after the death of Fyodor Ivanovich).

It’s interesting that, in a sense, a real “grew up” on the old territory of the cemetery. cherry orchard" Many famous actors of the Moscow Art Theater are buried here, led by the unforgettable Anton Chekhov and Konstantin Stanislavsky. In addition to the graves of these outstanding people, on Novodevichy you can find the tombstones of the final resting places of Mikhail Bulgakov, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Samuil Marshak, Sergei Prokofiev, Vladimir Vernadsky, Ivan Sechenov and other world-famous poets, writers, playwrights, composers and scientists.

Who can be buried at Novodevichye in our time?

According to official data, burial places are provided in 2 cases: for special services to the Fatherland and in the presence of ancient family burials. In the first case, the Moscow government provides a place in the cemetery free of charge to a person whose services to the Motherland are undeniable. Such persons include outstanding scientists, figures of art and literature, political figures, etc. The state provides them free of charge with the opportunity to rest in close proximity to the great sons of Russia and automatically replenish this glorious pantheon.

In the second case, you need to be a descendant of an old Russian family, whose representatives already have graves on Novodevichy. Naturally, in such a situation it is necessary to provide documents confirming the relationship of the deceased with those who were previously buried in the historical cemetery. According to the law, new family burials cannot be opened here (Novodevichye is considered a closed cemetery).

At the same time, you can often find advertisements for funeral services that offer assistance in conducting burials on Novodevichy. According to unofficial data, prices for a plot in this historical cemetery start from 150 thousand rubles and can reach an amount of 1.5-1.8 million. Usually such burials are only possible if a very old grave is moved, but this happens extremely rarely.