The Vagankovsky 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 one day it will be possible to establish an exact list of everyone who is buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery for at least the last hundred years, not to mention its entire long history. The list of the deceased, who found their last shelter 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 the mass death of the population, but also by significant popular unrest in Moscow and its environs. The unrest was suppressed, however, by decree of Empress Catherine II, the deceased citizens were forbidden to bury within the city.
The preventive sanitary measure had an effect, the disease receded, and a necropolis grew up near Moscow in the village of Novoe Vagankovo, where ordinary Muscovites were buried.
Who is buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery? Of course, no one kept a list of burials in those distant times. In the 18-19 centuries, the last refuge of those who died from epidemics, soldiers who fell in the Battle of Borodino, died on the Khodynka field and many other victims of wars and historical tragedies found their last refuge there.
The Great Patriotic War added to the Vagankovsky cemetery of mass graves and monuments to the defenders of the city.
Do they remember everyone? Who is buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery from celebrities
Today, we associate the largest with the graves of all our beloved actors, cultural and art 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 Vagankovskoye 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 Vagankovsky cemetery are the most famous families of the 19th century. These are politicians, military men, cultural figures, writers and artists. Next to the magnificent graves of famous historical figures, there are modest burials of now almost forgotten people, whose names are known only to specialists.
Memory of the Decembrist uprising
The list of those buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery can be started with the names of the Decembrists. Currently, only seven of their graves have been preserved. In one fence there are tombstones of Alexander Filippovich Frolov and Pavel Sergeevich Bobrischev-Pushkin, next to them is a pink marble stele of Ivan Nikolayevich Khotyaintsev.
The grave of Mikhail Alexandrovich Bestuzhev is located on the main alley. His daughters and sister Elena are also buried here. A great woman, whose name is undeservedly forgotten by descendants. It was she who preserved the most valuable archival artifact for history - the famous Bestuzhev gallery of portraits of the Decembrists, taking it out of Siberia after the death of her brother.
A black granite monument crowns the grave of the Decembrist Alexander Petrovich Belyaev, and the grave of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Zagoretsky is also nearby.
Friends of A. S. Pushkin
Few people remember where the burial place of the greatest poet is. No, of course, he does not rest at the Vagankovsky cemetery. The grave of the classic of Russian literature is located in the Svyatogorsky Monastery, in the Pskov region. Nevertheless, of those of his contemporaries who are buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery, many were closely associated with A. S. Pushkin and his family.
So, near the church ensemble are the graves of close friends of the poet: Count Fyodor Ivanovich Tolstoy and the famous theater figure and composer Alexei Nikolaevich Verestovsky.
brush masters
Famous people buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery, not always, having ended their lives, came to this place in glory and honor. Especially if it was about creative people who gave 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 Vagankovsky cemetery is impressive. Vasily Andreyevich Tropinin, a great painter of the Romantic era and the founder of a realistic portrait in Russian painting, is buried in a modest grave. He left more than three thousand portraits of his contemporaries, and it is to his talent and skill of the brush that Russian art owes the development of realism and the appearance of the portrait-type.
V. A. Tropinin was the first famous artist buried at the Vagankovsky 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 Wanderers and avant-garde artists, illustrators, decorators, graphic artists and painters who worked in the 19th and 20th centuries rest here.
The people buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery and who left an indelible mark on history are today mostly forgotten by their contemporaries. Many graves are dilapidated, some do not even have commemorative plaques. Nevertheless, they are gradually returning the names.
The grave of the author of "Rooks ..."
At the Vagankovsky cemetery there is the grave of the creator of a cult, or, as they say, "archetypal" work of Russian painting. The famous work "The Rooks Have Arrived" is still known from school. However, few people know the tragic fate of its creator.
Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov is one of the founders of the Association of Traveling Exhibitions, a brilliant painter and teacher. Alas, he spent the last years of his life in poverty. Personal tragedies that the artist could not cope with, alcoholism and constant need led to the fact that he was 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 Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov. Born May 12, 1830, died September 26, 1897. The boards on the cross rotted and collapsed, in the end 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 died ... Since Savrasov appeared lyrics in landscape painting and boundless love for his native land ... and this undoubted merit in the field of Russian art has never been will be forgotten."
Today, his grave at the Vagankovsky cemetery is decorated with a granite obelisk with a laconic inscription: "Outstanding Russian artist Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov, 1830-1897."
The last journey of the servants of Melpomene
The list of celebrities buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery is impressive. Paradoxically, the necropolis, which appeared as a result of the greatest tragedies in the history of the state, has become a favorite burial place for theater and film actors, directors, musicians and composers.
According to legend, the tradition of burying people of acting professions here came from one of the Moscow mayors, by whose decree it was instructed to bury acting people on Vagankovsky. Perhaps because this cemetery was the largest and it was quick and convenient to get to it, which reduced the cost of funerals, which often took place 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 resting here is difficult to pin down. The actors buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery were the 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 style of constructivism on the grave of Alexander Abdulov. The original monument-memorial in the form of film frames reminds of everyone's favorite Mikhail Pugovkin. Not far away 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. Do not count all those who are buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery from celebrities who have enriched domestic and world culture. Below is a list (far from complete, of course, of celebrities not mentioned in the text):
- - writer.
- Alov Alexander - director.
- Yuri Bogatyrev is an actor.
- Braginsky Emil - playwright.
- Burkov George - actor.
- Balter Alla is an actress.
- Vitsin George is an actor.
- Voroshilov Vladimir - presenter.
- Spiridonov Vadim - actor.
- Garin Erast is an actor.
- Glebov Peter - actor.
- Gluzsky Mikhail - actor.
- Dvorzhetsky Evgeny is an actor.
- Kaverin Veniamin is a writer.
- Mikhail Kononov is an actor.
- Marina Levtova is an actress.
- Liepa Maris - dancer.
- Listyev Vlad - journalist.
- Migulya Vladimir - composer.
- Rozov Victor - playwright.
- Rostotsky Andrey - actor.
- Sazonova Nina - actress.
- Samoilov Vladimir - actor.
- - actor.
- Streltsov Eduard - athlete.
- Tanich Mikhail is a poet.
- Tulikov Serafim - composer.
- Fedorova Zoya - actress.
- Kharitonov Leonid - actor.
- Chekan Stanislav is an actor.
- Chukhrai Grigory - 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, is 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 the name of Meyerhold 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 director reformer.
"Faithful Galya"
Poet Sergei Yesenin is buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. The rebellious life and tragic death of the young genius of poetry attracted the attention of admirers and admirers to his resting place. Alas, the grave of Sergei Yesenin is notorious. Neither the bust, carved in a block of white marble, nor the granite plinth, immersed 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 that even more dogs will hang on Yesenin. But he and I don't care. In this grave for me all the most precious ... ".
Perhaps this legend was based on the sad fate of his friend and assistant. A year after the death of the poet, she shot herself at his grave, leaving the famous suicide note. She rests here, next to her idol. The first inscription on a 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. Yes, and you yourself know that without your participation in my fate there would be a lot of deplorable things.
A series of suicides that followed after that at the grave of the "Moscow reveler" enveloped the place with an ominous veil of fatalism and misfortune. In total, 12 people committed suicide here - all women.
Idols of millions
What celebrities are buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery and what stories and legends envelop their death and resting place, it is difficult to count. The grave of Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky was no exception. A slightly pretentious monument depicts everyone's favorite singer and artist, expressive, eager as he was during his lifetime. On the one hand - a portrait, on the other - a monument-allegory, the leitmotif of which was the lines of the artist's prophetic song "Fussy Horses". Pathetic, strange monument. Eyewitnesses to Vysotsky's funeral claimed that his widow Marina Vladi sobbed when she saw the tombstone, calling it an ugly example of socialist realism.
Vysotsky was not supposed to find his last resting place 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 gravestone of another great bard is distinguished by modesty and conciseness. Bulat Okudzhava is also buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. A tombstone 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, to this day littered with flowers, belongs to Igor Talkov. Another idol of millions who tragically died at a young age. And his death is shrouded in secrets, rumors and legends, like many of his predecessors who were buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery. The photo of the singer in a frame with a wooden carved pediment, reminiscent of a Russian hut, is almost always framed with garlands of carnations and roses. The tombstone itself is decorated in the neo-pagan Slavic style. A huge bronze cross rises on a black pedestal, 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 and sing ...” are inscribed with gilding.
At the grave of Igor Talkov, as well as at the grave of Sergei Yesenin, there were some suicide attempts. Fortunately, in this case, suicide was prevented and the restless female fans were saved.
Who are they, the saints buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery?
There are special graves on this huge necropolis. Near them is always crowded, they come here from afar with prayers and requests for help. One of these graves belongs to Father Valentine. Although officially he was never canonized, people sincerely believe in his intercession and consider the grave miraculous.
Father Valentin during his lifetime was known for his good disposition, open generous heart. The poor and orphans, widows and the homeless turned to him for help. The clergyman took a sincere part in the fate of all those who sought his protection and support.
It is noteworthy that the exact burial place of Father Valentine is unknown. The priest died in 1908, and in the turbulent 20s they wanted to destroy his grave in order to stop the pilgrimage. In 1941, when they dug up the supposed burial site, no remains were found. It is believed that, fulfilling the will of Father Valentine, he was buried two meters deeper than it was customary to bury the dead.
Today, at the alleged resting place of the holy father, there are two crosses at once, literally a meter apart. White, stone, installed by the great-granddaughter of the clergyman, the second, wooden, erected by pilgrims. From somewhere there was a belief that it was here, away from the official grave, that the ashes of Father Valentine rested. Both crosses have flowers, candles, and there is always a line of people praying for help and thanking for intercession.
The Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow is known no less than the Kremlin, it is the burial place of the dead. The land area of seven and a half hectares is the whole history of the Russian people.
History of occurrence
The Novodevichy cemetery appeared 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, wandered from hand to hand, was used as a laundry, a gym, a kindergarten.
Next to the monastery was founded a cemetery for the repose of the nuns. One of the first to be buried here was the author of the Novodevichy Convent - N. E. Efimov.
There were few burials in this place for a long period. However, over time, Novodevichy Cemetery became one of the most expensive and elite burial places. The graves of celebrities of the state and cultural-historical levels are located there at every turn.
Who was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery?
People from higher circles found their last refuge under the Novodevichy Convent. These were statesmen - military leaders and ministers, painters and sculptors, poets and writers, academicians and scientists. The personalities buried at the 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 abused and vandalized. After the revolution, in 1917-1920, most of the tombstones, crosses, sculptures and fences were destroyed or taken out.
History of Russia in burials
After the 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 transferred 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). It has expanded three times in its history. About 26,000 people rest in the necropolis.
Many historical figures are buried in 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 has about 7,000 urns. There is the ashes of the writers A. Tvardovsky and S. Mikhalkov, the aircraft designer A. N. Tupolev, the grave of the great actor of all times and peoples - Yuri Nikulin. Politicians B. Yeltsin and N. Khrushchev rest in these places.
The “newest” site is the burials of Russian cultural figures, among them - E. Leonov, L. Gurchenko, M. Ulyanov, N. Kryuchkov, S. Bondarchuk, A. Schnittke and hundreds of other people.
Novodevichy Cemetery - tourism direction
Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow is one of the ten most beautiful and unique burial places 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 the 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 are 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 let it sound paradoxical, but for many women the churchyard gave healing and hope. Perhaps this is because its fate, like the fate of the monastery, was largely determined by the feminine principle. Many female individuals are buried here, who during their lifetime were deeply unhappy. They loved and suffered, believed and hoped, but did not find happiness. Now the "sufferers" are in a better world, and their energy is able to heal and heal. She helps to find female happiness - to meet her destiny, to get married, to give birth to a long-awaited child ...
More than one eyewitness claims that strange silhouettes and shadows were seen while walking around the burial sites. Perhaps this is Abbot Devochkin, who has been guarding these lands for centuries. Maybe it's Stalin mourning at his wife's grave. Or maybe Gogol is looking for those who desecrated his grave? Rumor has it 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 rest at the Novodevichy Cemetery. However, not all tourists are attracted by such gloomy places. This graveyard is an exception. There are hundreds of those wishing to visit the burial places of great cultural and political figures.
1. Academician Ostrovityanov Konstantin Vasilievich - Soviet economist and public figure.
2. Zykina Lyudmila Georgievna - Soviet and Russian singer, performer of Russian folk songs, Russian romances, pop songs.
3. Ulanova Galina Sergeevna - Soviet prima ballerina, choreographer and teacher. People's Artist of the USSR.
4. Ladynina Marina Alekseevna - Soviet theater and film actress. People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of five Stalin Prizes.
5. Govorov Vladimir Leonidovich - Soviet military leader, army general, Hero of the Soviet Union.
6.Dovator Lev Mikhailovich - Soviet military leader, major general, Hero of the Soviet Union. Talalikhin Viktor Vasilievich - military pilot, deputy squadron commander of the 177th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps of the Air Defense Forces of the country, junior lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union. Panfilov Ivan Vasilyevich - Soviet military leader, major general, Hero of the Soviet Union.
7. Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich - Soviet and Russian actor and clown. People's Artist of the USSR (1973). Hero of Socialist Labor (1990). Member of the Great Patriotic War. Member of the CPSU (b).
8. Gilyarovsky Vladimir Alekseevich - (December 8 (November 26), 1855, an estate in the Vologda province - October 1, 1935, Moscow) - writer, journalist, everyday writer of Moscow.
9. Shukshin Vasily Makarovich - an outstanding Russian Soviet writer, film director, actor, screenwriter.
10. Fadeev Alexander Alexandrovich - Russian Soviet writer and public figure. Brigadier Commissioner. Laureate of the Stalin Prize of the first degree. Member of the RCP(b) since 1918. (Roman Young Guard)
11. Durov Vladimir Leonidovich - Russian trainer and circus artist. Honored Artist of the Republic. Brother of Anatoly Leonidovich Durov.
12. Rybalko Pavel Semyonovich - an outstanding Soviet military leader, marshal of armored forces, commander of tank and combined arms armies, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
13. Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov - Soviet physicist, founder of the scientific school of physical optics in the USSR, academician and president of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Laureate of four Stalin Prizes. The younger brother of N. I. Vavilov, a Soviet geneticist.
January 1860, July 2, 1904) - Russian writer, playwright, doctor by profession. Honorary Academician of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in the category of fine literature. He is a universally recognized classic of world literature. His plays, especially The Cherry Orchard, have been staged in many theaters around the world for a hundred years. One of the most famous playwrights in the world.”]
14. Chekhov Anton Pavlovich (17)
