Peter and Paul Fortress is of course one of the main tourist sites of St. Petersburg. It was established by Peter the Great in 1703 on a small island in the Neva River, and over the years it had many roles from military base to political prison. Some of the famous people who were imprisoned Continue reading “Site 44: Peter and Paul Fortress”
This cemetery is the newest of the four at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg, Russia. The first burials here were in 1917, and included those who participated in Bolshevik demonstrations, the Civil War, and, as so named, for Cossacks. Eventually it got renamed Continue reading “Site 43: St. Petersburg’s Cossack Cemetery”
As I’ve mentioned previously, there are four cemeteries at Alexander Nevsky Monastery. The Tikhvin and Lazarus Cemeteries are located outside the official gates, but the other two are located inside the monastery grounds. Even though Nikolskoe is clearly the largest of the four, I only found it Continue reading “Site 42: St. Petersburg’s Nikolskoe Cemetery”
The twin to Alexander Nevsky’s Lazarus Cemetery is the Tikhvin Cemetery, which is literally right next door. However, I’ll call it a fraternal twin as the two cemeteries are actually quite different. As Lazarus Cemetery became more and more crowded, the need for another Continue reading “Site 41: St. Petersburg’s Tikhvin Cemetery”
Twelve years after the founding of St. Petersburg, in 1710, Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra monastery was founded by Peter the Great. It was built in the spot that was thought to be the place where Alexander Nevsky (13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263), grandson of Vsevolod Continue reading “Site 40: St. Petersburg’s Lazarus Cemetery”
In St. Petersburg, just north of the iconic Church of the Spilled Blood, is a large park known as the Field of Mars. This park has been used in St. Petersburg for centuries, for everything from military parades and troop inspections to parades and just regular Continue reading “Site 39: St. Petersburg’s Eternal Flame”
Here’s a little cemetery that I just happened to come across. After debating again and again whether or not to go see the Kremlin, I finally gave in, only to give up once I arrived and saw how long the lines were. So instead I went to the open air park/ Continue reading “Site 38: Moscow’s Kolomenskoe Cemetery”
I still hadn’t been inside the Kremlin, but, as with previous days, I couldn’t bear the crowds, so I opted for the Donskoy Monastery and it’s old cemetery. There are actually two cemeteries here – the old necropolis, within the monastery walls, Continue reading “Site 37: Moscow’s Old Donskoy Necropolis”
If Moscow has one go-to cemetery, this is it. Novodevichy Cemetery lies just to the south of the UNESCO World Heritage site Novodevichy Convent, which was established in the 16th century (1524 to be exact). Both cemetery and convent are Continue reading “Site 36: Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery”
Or…Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I have to admit it: I have this strange fascination for embalmed Communist leaders. Well, maybe fascination is too strong a word, but there’s Continue reading “Site 35: Moscow’s Kremlin Memorials”
So…back to Europe! Last year when I was traipsing all over some of Europe’s greatest cemeteries, never did I think I’d be back almost exactly a year later to do the same thing. I really did think it would be a few years before I would be able to return, even Continue reading “The European Death Tour: 2016 Edition”
stone and dust 