Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery in the Vasilyevsky Island was established in 1756 to the decree issued by the Senate, but there is evidence of burials that took place at this site earlier.
About the cemetery
The Cemetery got its name after the church dedicated to the Icon of our Lady of Smolensk. From the 18th century, Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery has served as a burial ground for both common citizens and prominent public figures. Academy of Sciences, Academy of Fine Arts, Alexandrinsky and Mariinsky theater, St. Petersburg University – all have their special plots at the cemetery. Until the Revolution of 1917 this cemetery used to be one of the country’s largest burial grounds – by the early 20th century there were about seven to eight hundred thousand graves here.
Smolenskoye Cemetery has always been known for its charity work. In 19th century it maintained an orphanage and a widow-house for the families of priests, a church school and an orphanage for the children whose parents perished during the Russian-Japanese war.
Smolenskoye Cemetery has always been known for its charity work. In 19th century it maintained an orphanage and a widow-house for the families of priests, a church school and an orphanage for the children whose parents perished during the Russian-Japanese war.
Maintaining Smolenskoye Cemetery it is important not only to preserve its history but also its picturesque look and unique atmosphere that took centuries to form and made this necropolis both a place of mourning and a popular site for contemplative walks.
Important personalities
The new Soviet authorities had planned to demolish Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery. Many graves of famous artists, actors and writers were then moved to other cemeteries in the city. The grave of a well-known Russian poet Alexander Block, for example, was moved to Literatorskiye mostki.
Today, one may still find tombs of some important personalities at the Smolenskoye Cemetery, such as:
- Xenia of Saint Petersburg,
- Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky,
- Alexander Mozhaysky,
- Fyodor Sologub,
- brother, sons and daughter of Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
- brother and father of Alexander Dargomyzhsky,
- and others.
St. Xenia’s chapel
The cemetery is most valued and respected for the tomb of St. Blessed Xenia, one of the patron saints of the city who lived in St. Petersburg in the late 18th century and was thought to be a fool for Christ and a miracle-maker during her life-time. She also helped to build the church of Our Lady of Smolensk and was buried at the cemetery.In 1902 the chapel of St. Xenia was built on the site. The chapel was frequented by the believers even during the Soviet period. It was under the city’s siege only, when the chapel was locked, that the people chose a different place to adore – a family tomb with a mosaic depicting an image of Christ. In the late 1980-s St. Xenia’s chapel was restored and dedicated anew. And recently the Orthodox church together with the Association of Funeral Business have restored the tomb that served as a place for prayer for those who lived in the besieged city.
Nowadays people from various cities and countries come on pilgrimage to St. Petersburg, to Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery asking St. Xenia to fulfill their most sacred wishes.
Address
Smolenskoye Orthodox Cemetery26 Kamskaya Street
Vasilievsky Island
St. Petersburg 199178
Russia
Contacts
Tel: +7 812 3219993Tel./Fax: +7 812 3219993
E-mail: sobor.spb@mail.ru
Website: www.funeralassociation.ru
Opening hours
From October to April: daily from 9.00 a.m. to 17.00 p.m.From May to September: daily from 9.00 a.m. to 18.00 p.m.
Tourist information about St. Petersburg
www.visit-petersburg.ru (City Portal)www.saint-petersburg.com (City Portal)
www.pulkovoairport.ru (Airport)
www.rzd.ru (Russian railways)
www.seaport.spb.ru (Ships and ferries)
www.citytourspb.ru/en (City buses)
www.saint-petersburg.com/hotels/index.asp (Hotel reservation)
"La Cigna" Cemetery (Livorno, Italy)
This cemetery was conceived as a modern digging up cemetery according to the dispositions fixed by "leopoldine" rules of 1783.
About the cemetery
The public cemetery "La Cigna" was built to owe to the necessity of a burial ground of proportionate size to face the emergency caused by the "yellow fever" epidemic which broke out in Livorno during the month of August in 1804. This cemetery was the fourth public open graveyard, beginning from 1770, built outside the areas of Livorno, and it was conceived as a modern digging up cemetery according to the dispositions fixed by "leopoldine" rules of 1783.
The project was drawn up by the architect Riccardo Calocchieri in the month of October 1807, but the works ended in the month of October 1822. The cemetery was enlarged for the first time in 1891 according to the project of the public engineer Angelo Unis. In 1910 was again expanded englobing the small cemeteries of Ottoman and Waldenses communities. Six years later the Cinerary Temple of Cremation Society was erected.
Together with some valuables examples of local handcrafts of the last two centuries, among the tombs and funeral monuments of the cemetery, works by the sculptors Gori, Zilocchi, Bois, Tarrini, Gemignani e Fioravanti are preserved. Local public governments of Livorno have always preserved the original feature as place of rest for the deads of different creeds and rites, as the city of Livorno, always crossroad of different ethnic groups, has always preserved this peculiarity.
*Photo source: https://it.wikipedia.org
Cemetery address
"La Cigna" cemeteryvia Don Aldo Mei, 19
57122 Livorno
Italy
Cemetery contacts
Phone: 39 0586 428324Fax: 39 0586 404318
www.comune.livorno.it/
Opening hours
In summer: 8.00-12.30 and 15.30-18.30In winter: 8.00-12.30 and 14.30-17.30
Tourist information about the City of Livorno
City PortalTurist info
Italian railways
City buses
Pisa Airport
Hotel reservetion
Turist Information Office
Piazza Cavour 6, 57100 Livornotel.: 39 0586 204611
fax: 39 0586/896173
e-mail: info@livorno.turismo.toscana.it
website: www.livorno.turismo.toscana.it
URP (City Information Office)
Piazza del Municipio, 157122 Livorno
tel: 39 0586 820203-204-205
fax: 39 0586 820280
e-mail: segnalazioni@comune.livorno.it
website:www.comune.livorno.it/urp
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