One of the most famous and largest in Moscow is located in the Central Metropolitan District. The area of the memorial complex exceeds 50 hectares.
History of the Vagankovskoe cemetery
The Vagankovsky necropolis arose at the end of the 18th century in New Vaganki, located west of the Presnenskaya outpost.
Old Vagankovo was formed around the estate of the wife of Tsar Vasily the First, Sofia Vitovtovna. Over time, a “royal amusement court” arose in this area (“to play around”, according to Dahl - to joke, amuse, indulge, play).
The revelry in this area of Moscow reached such proportions that in 1627, by order of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, Muscovites were strictly forbidden to go there, and for violating this rule they were ordered to be beaten with a whip. The measures turned out to be insufficient and at the end of the 17th century the residents were moved, as mentioned above, to the Trekhgorka area. This is how New Vaganki arose.
Let's continue the history of the Vagankovsky cemetery.
The year of foundation is considered to be 1771, although the burials on the site of the current necropolis date back to an earlier time. There is an opinion that at this place there was the grave of Tsarevich Dmitry, who was the brother of Tsar Vasily Shuisky, who ruled Rus' from 1606 to 1610.
The first burials in 1771 are associated with the burial of people who died from the plague that broke out in Moscow in those years. The cemetery was founded by order of Count Grigory Orlov, who was sent to Moscow by Catherine II with special powers to prevent the consequences of the plague epidemic.
Anti-plague operations began on September 26, 1771, immediately after Orlov’s arrival in the capital. With him, 4 regiments of the Life Guards arrived in Moscow, as well as a large number of doctors.
Due to the large number of deaths, there was not enough space in the old cemeteries. To solve this issue, new churchyards were opened, incl. and Vagankovskoe cemetery.
Thanks to the measures taken, the spread of the plague was prevented, and in honor of Count Grigory Orlov, a medal was issued with his bas-relief and the inscriptions: “Russia has such sons in itself” and “For ridding Moscow of the Plague in 1771.”
In subsequent years, the Vagankovskoye cemetery became the resting place of peasants and people of the bourgeois class, retired military officers, minor officials, as well as bodies of unknown people picked up on the streets from Moscow slums.
Changes in the status of the Vagankovsky churchyard began in 1824, when, under the leadership of architect A.G. Grigoriev. The Church of the Resurrection of the Word was built on the site of the old church.
Soon the first graves appeared here famous people: Count Tolstoy F.I., Decembrist Frolov A.F., composer Verstovsky A.N., Bobrishchev-Pushkin P.S.
Due to the expansion of Moscow, many cemeteries were either closed to burials or moved to new outskirts of the city. Vagankovskoye escaped this fate, and with it Novodevichye and Donskoy. They have become historical monuments, on which not only famous people rest, but also tombstones, the authors of which are outstanding artists, sculptors and architects.
In addition to individual burials, there are also collective burials at the Vagankovskoye cemetery: a mass grave of soldiers who died in the Battle of Borodino in 1812; the grave of people who became victims on Khodynka while receiving gifts on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II; mass grave of people who defended Moscow in 1941-1942; a memorial dedicated to the victims of Stalin's repressions; a monument to the child actors of the notorious musical “Nord-Ost” who died in the terrorist attack.
Over the 235-year history of the churchyard, more than half a million citizens were buried here. Currently, there are more than 100,000 graves in the necropolis.
Vagankovskoye Cemetery - opening hours:
Entrance to the territory is free and without payment. You can visit the graves daily: from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from May to September, and from October to April, opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The churchyard is located at the address: Moscow, Sergeya Makeev, 15, metro station “Ulitsa 1905 Goda”.
Plan of the Vagankovskoye cemetery (burial scheme):
Cemetery address:Moscow, Sergeya Makeeva 15.You can walk from the “Ulitsa 1905 Goda” metro station: exit the metro, take the first car from the center (exit with stairs), turn right, then along Bolshaya Dekabristskaya Street to the entrance to the Vagankovskoye Cemetery, opposite across the road is the “Armenian Cemetery”.
Opening hours: from 9.00 to 17.00 - paperwork, visiting in the summer until 19.00. The cemetery is open seven days a week.
Relatives and friends, let me express my deep condolences to those who are faced with grief - the loss of a loved one.
For a family burial with a coffin you must:
- Stamp death certificate;
- Certificate for the grave;
- The owner of the grave, in the event of the death of the owner of the grave - a close relative;
- Documents confirming relationship with those buried in the grave;
- Applicant's passport.
Church of the Resurrection of the Wordwith refectory and bell tower
Funeral services
The range of ritual services when organizing the burial of the deceased in a cemetery includes:
- Preparation of documents;
- Purchase and delivery of ritual supplies to the morgue, including unloading work;
- Transportation of the coffin with the body of the deceased to the cemetery;
- Funeral arrangements;
- Digging a grave on a related or newly designated plot;
- Providing a plaque with the inscription and installing it on the grave.
Funeral services provided:
- Free consultation and home visit of a funeral agent;
- Obtaining a medical record of the deceased at the district clinic;
- Calling a team to transport the body of the deceased;
- Obtaining a medical death certificate at the morgue;
- Obtaining a death certificate and a certificate of benefits from the registry office or multifunctional center (My documents);
- Transfer of items to the morgue and payment for the services of orderlies;
- Organization of the mourning hall;
- Organization of a civil or church memorial service;
- Sale of ritual supplies;
- Rent of funeral transport;
- Registration of a new burial in an open cemetery;
- Registration of related burial;
- Ordering a crematorium and organizing cremation;
- Loader services;
- Order of the Honor Guard and Band;
- Transportation of the body of the deceased to the Moscow morgue;
- Services for transporting the body of the deceased to another state;
- Services for transporting the body of the deceased throughout Russia;
- Translation of the deceased's passport;
- Obtaining the necessary permits for burial;
- Accompaniment of the funeral by a funeral agent;
- Exhumation;
- Organization of a funeral meal.
Cost of ritual supplies and transport
Crematorium/cemetery order | 1 service | 1,900/3,300 rubles |
Ordering transport | 1 service | 900 rubles |
Ordering accessories | 1 service | 900 rubles |
Ritual accessories | (coffin, bed, pillow, blanket) | 7,350 rubles |
Hearse bus | route (morgue - crematorium/cemetery) | 6,600 rubles |
Delivery of supplies to the morgue | 1 service | 3,300 rubles |
Total: | 20.950/22.350 rubles |
Cost of paid morgue services
Cost of digging a grave
Cost of funeral agent services
Calling an agent to the customer | 1 service | free |
Collection of documents | 1 service | 3500 rubles |
Ritual accompaniment | 1 service | 3500 rubles |
Order a funeral service | 1 service | 1200 rubles |
Departure to the cemetery | 1 service | 2600 rubles |
Passport translation | 1 service | 2300 rubles |
Funeral organization "Turnkey" |
| 11900 rubles |
You can arrange a funeral or call an agent by calling 24/7
Address: 123100, Moscow, st. Sergeya Makeev, 15.
Directions: metro station "Ulitsa 1905 Goda".
The Vagankovsky necropolis, which arose at the end of the 18th century, located west of the Presnenskaya outpost in Novye Vaganki, became one of the outstanding Moscow monuments of history and culture. The area of the necropolis is 50 hectares. Official year its foundation is considered to be in 1771, although from historical sources it is known about slabs of earlier burials found on this site.
The first to be buried at the Vagankovskoe cemetery were thousands of nameless Muscovites who died of the plague in 1771. Over the next century and a half, poor people - the peasant and bourgeois classes, minor officials, retired military men and inhabitants of the Moscow slums picked up on the streets - found their final refuge at Vagankovo. Only in the 19th century did the graves of people who left their mark on Russian history appear here. In 1824, according to the design of the architect A.G. Grigoriev, the Church of the Resurrection of the Word with a northern aisle in the name of John the Merciful was erected here on the site of the old church, and a rotunda was built in memory of the old church of the same name. A little later, near the new temple, the graves of the Decembrists A.F. Frolov and P.S. Bobrishchev-Pushkin appeared, a little further - the graves of A.S. Pushkin’s friends, Count F.I. Tolstoy and composer A.N. Verstovsky.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, with the growth of Moscow's population and the expansion of residential development, the number of city cemeteries also increased. Many of them, who were outside the city, now find themselves within its boundaries. Some of them were closed for burials, others were moved to new places. Several old Moscow cemeteries - Donskoye, Novodevichye, Vagankovskoye - have turned into unique historical monuments-necropolises, preserving not only the memory of the people who rested here, but also collections of works outstanding sculptors, architects and artists - authors of tombstones.
From the burials of the Vagankovo necropolis, one can trace Russian history through its tragic moments: here is a mass grave of soldiers who died in the Battle of Borodino in 1812, and a mass grave of the victims of Khodynka, who died in a stampede during the distribution of gifts after the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, a monument to the victims of Stalin repressions of the 1930s, a mass grave of the defenders of Moscow who held its defense during the Great Patriotic War in 1941–42, a monument to the victims of the 1991 coup and, finally, a monument to the children - actors of the musical "Nord-Ost" who became victims terrorist attack on Dubrovka in 2002
Over the 235 years of its existence, the Vagankovo necropolis has buried more than half a million people. Currently there are more than 100,000 graves of Moscow citizens.
Information from the site
Vagankovskoe cemetery is one of the largest in Moscow. It was built in 1771 by order of Count Orlov.
This happened at a time when Russian Empire the plague was raging. The territory of the Vagankovsky cemetery was allocated for the burial of those who were killed by this disease.
It was only in the 19th century that prominent personalities began to be buried in the cemetery - about 100 thousand burials reflect the history of our state.
Participants of the Battle of Borodino, victims of Stalin's repressions, participants of the Second World War (1941-1942), children who died in the terrorist attack on Dubrovka, various famous personalities are buried in the cemetery - in total more than 500 thousand Muscovites, while only 100 thousand of all burials have been preserved .
Where is the Vagankovskoe cemetery in Moscow?
The facility is located at the address: Sergeya Makeev Street, building 15.
The cemetery area is almost 48 hectares. This article will serve as a kind of guide between the sites where the graves of famous people are located.
Diagram showing graves
The Vagankovskoe cemetery is very extensive, without any plan or diagram, it is impossible to get your bearings. The diagram presented in the photo shows the location of 60 burial sites, each of which has its own number.
Two mass graves are indicated and Orthodox Church. The paths between the sections also have their own names. Also, opposite the Vagankovsky cemetery, there is the Armenian cemetery, which is its branch.
Where can I get a complete list of burials?
A complete list of burials can be found at the cemetery administration or on special. resources. For example, here https://nekropole.info/ru/person/list?cemetery_id=3433 provides a list of all persons buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
Another interesting resource offers interactive map http://vagankovo.net/interaktivnaya-karta/. By clicking on any plot number, you follow the link and open a list of people buried here.
Which celebrities are buried
At the Vagankovsky cemetery there are excursions for those interested, during which tourists will see the graves of famous personalities of our country - poets Bulat Okudzhava, Vladimir Vysotsky, Sergei Yesenin, artist Alexei Savrasov, actors Alexander Abdulov, Andrei Mironov, TV presenters Vladimir Voroshilov and Vladislav Listyev, and many others .
Grave of Vladimir Vysotsky
Vladimir Semyonovich was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in 1980. His grave is located next to the entrance to the cemetery, on the right side.
Its site, number 1, still remains one of the most visited. His mother, Nina Maksimovna Vysotskaya, is buried next to Vysotsky.
The grave of Alexander Abdulov
A. A. Abdulov was born on May 29, 1953. The artist died on January 3, 2008. A few months before his death, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Alexander Gavrilovich was famous actor theater and cinema. Worked at the Lenkom Theater. We have lost count of the number of films in which Abdulov has starred. The quantity varies from 100 to 150 paintings. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery in plot number 2.
Grave of Georgy Vitsin
G. M. Vitsin was born on April 5, 1917. Due to chronic liver and heart diseases, Vitsin passed away on October 22, 2001. Georgy Mikhailovich was a theater and film actor. He worked at the Ermolova Theater. Was involved in more than 300 works.
People know him from such films as “Prisoner of the Caucasus” and “Gentlemen of Fortune”. Unfortunately, in last years throughout his life his work was no longer in demand. He was buried on October 25, 2001 at the Vagankovskoye cemetery on plot 12A.
Igor Talkov's grave
I.V. Talkov was born on November 4, 1956. He was a singer, actor, poet. Took part in 18 projects. During a concert at the Yubileiny Sports Complex in St. Petersburg, Talkov was shot. It was as if he had a presentiment of his death and knew how he would be killed.
He said that he would be shot at large quantities people, but the shooter will never be found. And so it happened. The killer of Igor Vladimirovich hid in Israel for a long time. The singer’s funeral took place on October 9; he was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, plot number 25.
Sergei Yesenin's grave
How to find the grave of a famous poet? In order for everyone to honor the memory of Sergei Yesenin, guide signs have been installed at the Vagankovskoye cemetery near the entrance. Near the poet’s grave is the grave of Galina Benislavskaya, a girl in love with the poet.
S. A. Yesenin was born on September 21, 1895. On December 28, 1925, Yesenin was found hanged in his room at the Angeleter Hotel in St. Petersburg. He was an outstanding poet silver age. His poems have always been in demand and loved. His poems are still read and taught in schools.
The grave of Sergei Alexandrovich is the most visited at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. There are always fresh flowers on it. Yesenin's grave is constantly visited by fans of his work.
Grave of Vladislav Listyev
V. N. Listyev was born on May 10, 1956. He was a TV presenter and TV journalist. He was also the first general director of ORT. Before that, he was the host of numerous popular TV shows, such as “Field of Miracles,” “Guess the Melody,” and “Rush Hour.”
On March 1, 1995, Listyev was shot dead in the front door of his house. He served as director of ORT for a little over a month. The investigation into Listyev's murder is still ongoing. His grave and tombstone are located on plot number 1.
Grave of Vyacheslav Ivankov (Yaponchik)
V.K. Ivankov was born on January 2, 1940. He was a crime boss and thief in law. He created his own criminal group. Groups, under the guise of a police search, entered the apartments of those who, in their opinion, earned money through unclean labor. Some were taken to the forest and tortured. Gangs operated throughout the USSR.
On July 28, 2009, Yaponchik was attacked. He received several gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital, where he was put into an induced coma. From September 13 to 14, Ivankov experienced clinical death, and on October 9 he died in the oncology center from peritonitis.
The grave of Jap arouses great interest, so excursions are occasionally taken to it. Vyacheslav Ivankov is buried in plot number 55.
Grave of Andrei Mironov
A. A. Mironov was born on March 7, 1941. He was an Honored Artist of the RSFSR. Was involved in more than 80 projects. His work is admired to this day. He gave all of himself to the theater. As they say, he spent his entire life on stage. Death also found him on stage.
At the play “The Marriage of Figaro”, where he performed main role, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Later, the actor was diagnosed with a congenital aneurysm. Andrei Aleksandrovich Mironov is buried in plot number 40.
Conclusion
The most famous attraction of the Vagankovsky cemetery is the Church of the Resurrection of the Word, built in the period 1819 - 1831. Previously, there was a small wooden church in the cemetery (1773), on the site of which in this moment there is a rotunda.
In the existing stone church, divine services are regularly held, memorial services are held, a lot of missionary and educational work is carried out, and a Sunday school for children operates.
All information, schedule, opening hours, news and much more can be seen on the official website http://vagankovo.net/.
One of the oldest burial places is the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow. It covers an area of more than 48 hectares and is located in the Presnensky district of the Central District (northwest) of the capital.
According to the ancient Christian tradition, necropolises in Rus' arose around churches and were usually located within the city limits. During epidemics, burying in such cemeteries was dangerous due to the risk of repeated outbreaks of the disease. Therefore, victims of epidemics were buried outside the city limits. The history of the Vagankovsky cemetery is connected with the plague epidemic in Moscow in 1771, which claimed thousands of lives. Panic reigned in the city, people were afraid to leave their houses, plague-ridden corpses were thrown directly into the street. They were collected with sticks with hooks by prisoners brought in for this purpose, dressed in solid waxed robes with slits for the eyes.
Empress Catherine II sent Count G. Orlov to Moscow to combat the consequences of the epidemic. By his order, more than ten cemeteries outside the city were organized. One of them appeared in the village of Novoye Vagankovo. On its territory, the dead were buried in deep common graves. New Vagankovo was formed in early XVII century in connection with the movement of the sovereign's Kennel Yard outside the city limits. Before that, it was located in the village of Vagankovo along with the Poteshny Dvor. Since the 14th century, “amusing people” have lived there: buffoons, jesters, actors. They were distinguished by noisy behavior, revelry, fist fights, and drunkenness flourished.
TO XVII century Moscow grew, and Vagankovo ended up next to the boyars' chambers not far from the Kremlin. It was located on the site of the current Library. Lenin. Since the Kennel Yard, consisting of 300 hounds, falconers and other servants, in whose care there were falcons and huge packs of dogs, could not be located within the city limits, they were moved to a nearby suburb west of Presnenskaya Zastava (5 km from Vagankovo). So in 1636 New Vagankovo appeared. It existed until 1695, until the Psarny Yard moved. Now in its place is the Vagankovskoye cemetery, which borrowed its name from the village. The official date of formation is considered to be 1771.
Until the 19th century, people were buried in the cemetery ordinary people: burghers, peasants, vagabonds, petty officials. The construction of the majestic Church of the Resurrection of the Word in 1831 marked the beginning of the burial of nobles and celebrities. By this time, many Moscow churchyards were closed or moved outside the city due to overcrowding, and the Vagankovskoye cemetery from the outskirts moved into the city limits and was active. Over the 247 years of its existence, about 500 thousand people were buried there. Now there are 100 thousand graves in the memorial complex.
origin of name
There is no clear version about the origin of the name. There are several of them. The most common hypothesis is related to the word “vaganit”, which, according to Dahl’s dictionary, means: to make laugh, joke, play around. Since “amusing people” lived in Vagankovo, this version is completely justified. Historians associate the name with the collection of a monetary duty for weighing goods on scales (wags).
It is assumed that at this place there was an intersection of important trade roads and a ford across the Moscow River. Nearby there was a customs outpost called “Vaganets”, and the tax itself was called “Vaganny”. According to another version, the name comes from the word “vagan”, which was used to describe simple “uncouth” men.
Celebrity graves
The Vagankovsky necropolis is known as the burial place of famous people of Russia. The first famous burials appeared in mid-19th century century. Here you can see the graves:
- Decembrists, including: M.A. Bestuzheva, P.S. Bobrishcheva-Pushkina, I.N. Khotyaintseva.
- Composer A.N. Verestovsky, author of the immortal opera “Askold’s Grave”.
- Compiler explanatory dictionary V.I.Dalya
Eternal resting place found artists of the 19th century century:
- Outstanding portrait painter V. A. Tropinin, author of more than 3 thousand paintings, incl. famous portrait of A.S. Pushkin.
- V. I. Surikov, famous for his historical paintings: “Boyaryna Morozova”, “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Suvorov’s Crossing of the Alps”.
- V.V Pukirev, who painted the immortal painting “Unequal Marriage”.
- A.K. Savrasov, author of the works “The Rooks Have Arrived” and “Barge Haulers on the Volga” and many others.
Since the 20th century, actors, directors, writers, artists, politicians and artists have traditionally been buried at Vagankovo. Many outstanding personalities found eternal rest here, including:
- Poets – S. Yesenin, V. Vysotsky, B. Okudzhava, M. Tanich
- Writers – V. Aksenov, G. Gorin, V. Dragunsky, V. Kaverin, V. Rozov
- Directors – V. Pluchek, S. Rostotsky, G. Chukhrai, A. Alov, P. Fomenko
- Actors - A. Abdulov, G. Burkov, Yu. Bogatyrev, G. Vitsin, E. Garin, V. Glagoleva, M. Gluzsky, O. Dal, M. Liepa, A. Mironov, S. Mishulin, T. Nosova, M. Pugovkin, Z. Reich (wife of S. Yesenin), N. Rumyantseva, V. Solomin, L. Sukharevskaya, Z. Fedorova, L. Filatov, M. Tsarev, G. Yumatov.
- Other famous figures are natural scientist K. Timiryazev, academician A. Speransky, journalist and TV presenter V. Listyev, singer I. Talkov, football goalkeeper L. Yashin, figure skater L. Pakhomova.
Military and historical burials
There are many mass graves and mass graves at the Vagankovsky memorial complex. The heroes of the War of 1812, those who fell in the Battle of Borodino, the defenders of Moscow in the Great Patriotic War, are buried here. Patriotic War, who did not allow the Nazis to enter the capital, who died in battles and air raids in 1941-1942. Not far from the cemetery in May 1896, the Khodynka tragedy occurred, when almost one and a half thousand people were crushed during the distribution of souvenirs in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II. The mutilated corpses were taken to Vagankovo and piled in the meadow. Those who could be recognized were buried by relatives in coffins.
According to the publisher A. Suvorin, “all of this was inflated, black, and the stench was such that it was done badly,” so most remained unrecognized and were buried in common graves at site 6. Here is also the so-called “execution”: those buried according to the “execution lists” received by the cemetery commandant from the OGPU during the years of Stalin’s repressions from 1926 to 1936. Exact number“enemies of the people” is not known. Burials were made secretly at night in a remote area in a ravine near a stream. Monuments have been erected to the victims of political repression and the Khodynka disaster.
Our contemporaries who died during the 1991 coup and the tragedy that occurred in October 2002 as a result of gas poisoning during the terrorist capture in the theater center on Dubrovka found eternal rest in the cemetery. The graves are located in different areas, only two young actors from the musical rest nearby.
Saints buried in the cemetery
Orthodox Muscovites preserve the memory of the saints buried in the cemetery, although their graves were wiped off the face of the earth during the persecution of the Church. Despite this, many people come here for help. Especially revered among believers is Valentin Amfitheatrov, rector of the Kremlin Archangel Church, who died in 1908. He does not have a separate burial place; his body rests in a mass grave among WWII soldiers. During the construction of the memorial, the godless authorities ordered the bulldozer to demolish the revered grave. But people remember and honor Father Valentin, they go to him for healing, help and receive it.
Thanks to the efforts of grateful pilgrims, two crosses were erected at the site of the supposed burial. It is known that a Moscow saint, Blessed Schema-nun Martha of Moscow from the St. John the Baptist Monastery, who died in 1638, was buried at Vagankovo in 1927. To avoid desecration of the incorruptible relics by the Bolsheviks, believers reburied them. However, the exact location is not known.
In unknown graves lie glorified saints: Bishop Vasily (Zelentsov) of Priluki, who went through the horror of the Solovetsky camps and was shot in 1930; priest John Inyushin, martyr Macarius (Morzhov), bishop Maxim (Zhizhilenko), executed in June 1931.
Scheme of plots
The memorial complex is divided into 60 sections, the location of which can be seen on the diagram hanging at the entrance. In order not to get lost and quickly find the desired grave, you need to know in which area it is located.