One of the oldest burial places is the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow. It occupies an area of ​​more than 48 hectares and is located in the Presnensky district of the Central District (north-west) of the capital.

According to the ancient Christian tradition, necropolises in Russia arose around churches and were usually located within city limits. During epidemics, burying in such cemeteries was dangerous due to the risk of recurring outbreaks of the disease. Therefore, the victims of epidemics were buried outside the city limits. The history of the emergence 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-stricken corpses were thrown directly into the street. They were collected with sticks with hooks by convicts 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 fight 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 Novoe Vagankovo. On its territory, the dead were buried in deep common graves. New Vagankovo ​​was formed at the beginning of the 17th century in connection with the transfer of the sovereign's kennel outside the city limits. Prior to 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, fisticuffs, and drunkenness flourished.

By the 17th century, Moscow had grown, and Vagankovo ​​was next to the boyar chambers not far from the Kremlin. It was located on the site of the current Library. Lenin. Since the Kennel Yard, consisting of 300 kennels, falconers and other servants, who were in charge of falcons and huge packs of dogs, could not be located in the city, they were moved to a nearby suburb to the 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 Vagankovsky cemetery, which borrowed its name from the village. The official date of formation is 1771.

Until the 19th century, ordinary people were buried in the cemetery: burghers, peasants, vagabonds, petty officials. The construction of the majestic Church of the Resurrection of the Word in 1831 served as the beginning of the burial of nobles and celebrities. By this time, many Moscow graveyards were closed or moved outside the city due to overflow, and the Vagankovskoye cemetery moved from the outskirts to the city limits and was active. For 247 years of existence, about 500 thousand people were buried on it. Now there are 100 thousand graves in the memorial complex.

origin of name

There is no unequivocal version of the origin of the name. There are several of them. The most common hypothesis is associated with the word "whack", which, according to Dahl's dictionary, means: to laugh, joke, indulge. Since "funny people" lived in Vagankovo, this version is fully justified. Historians associate the name with the collection of a monetary fee for weighing goods on scales (wags).

It is assumed that this place was the 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 "Vaganets". According to another version, the name comes from the word "vagan", which was used to call 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 the middle of the 19th century. Here you can see the graves:

• Decembrists, including: M.A. Bestuzhev, P.S. Bobrishchev-Pushkin, I. N. Khotyaintseva.
• Composer A.N. Verestovsky, author of the immortal opera Askold's Grave.
• The compiler of the explanatory dictionary V.I.Dal

The place of eternal rest was found by artists of the 19th century:

• An outstanding portrait painter V. A. Tropinin, the author of more than 3 thousand paintings, incl. the famous portrait of A.S. Pushkin.
• V. I. Surikov, known for historical canvases: “Boyar Morozova”, “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Suvorov Crossing the Alps”.
• VV Pukirev, who painted the immortal painting "Unequal Marriage".
• A.K. Savrasov, author of the works "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 prominent 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
• Directed by V. Pluchek, S. Rostotsky, G. Chukhrai, A. Alov, P. Fomenko
• Actors - A. Abdulov, G. Burkov, Y. 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 well-known 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 graves

There are many mass graves and mass graves at the Vagankovsky memorial complex. Here are buried the heroes of the war of 1812, who fell in the Battle of Borodino, the defenders of Moscow in the Great Patriotic War, who did not let the Nazis into the capital, who died in battles and air raids in 1941-1942. Not far from the cemetery, in May 1896, the Khodynskaya 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. Mutilated corpses were taken to Vagankovo ​​and piled in the meadow. Those who could be recognized were buried in coffins by relatives.

According to the testimony of the publisher A. Suvorin, “all this was swollen, black, and the stench was such that it was done badly,” so most remained unrecognized, and were buried in mass graves in the 6th section. There is also the so-called “execution”: those buried according to the “hit lists” received by the cemetery commandant from the OGPU during the years of Stalinist repressions from 1926 to 1936. The exact number of "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 repressions and the Khodynka disaster.

Our contemporaries who died during the 1991 putsch and the tragedy that occurred in October 2002 as a result of gas poisoning during the capture of terrorists in the theater center on Dubrovka found eternal rest in the cemetery. The graves are located in different areas, only two young actors of the musical rest nearby.

Saints buried in the cemetery

Orthodox Muscovites keep 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 come here for help. Especially revered among believers is Valentin Amfiteatrov, rector of the Kremlin's Archangel Church, who died in 1908. He does not have a separate burial place, his body rests in a mass grave among the soldiers of the Second World War. During the construction of the memorial, the godless authorities ordered the revered grave to be demolished with a bulldozer. But people remember and honor Father Valentine, 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 alleged burial. It is known that in 1927 a Moscow saint was buried on Vagankovo ​​- the Blessed Schema-nun Martha of Moscow from the St. John the Baptist Monastery, who died in 1638. To avoid desecration of the imperishable relics by the Bolsheviks, believers reburied them. However, the exact location is not known.

In obscure graves lie those glorified as saints: Bishop Priluksky Vasily (Zelentsov), who went through the horror of the Solovetsky camps and was shot in 1930; Priest John Inyushin, Martyr Macarius (Morzhov), Bishop Maxim (Zhizhilenko), who were shot 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 right grave, you need to know in which area it is located.

• The current closed cemetery.
• Located next to the metro 1905.
• The total number of burials is over 100,000.
• Operating open and closed columbarium.
• Burials are available in an urn in an open and closed columbarium, a sarcophagus: more details here >>
• The area is about 50 hectares.

One of the oldest and most prestigious necropolises in Moscow is the Vagankovo ​​cemetery (popularly known as Vagankovo). The Vagankovskoye cemetery is the last refuge of thousands of famous people, including poets, writers, actors and athletes. Here are popularly loved Marina Tsvetaeva, Sergei Yesenin, Vladimir Vysotsky, actor Andrei Mironov and figure skater Lyudmila Pakhomova. The flow of people and excursions here does not dry out. Vagankovo ​​cemetery in Moscow is the most visited cemetery in Moscow and Russia.

Cemetery locations:

Since Vagankovo ​​is a closed-type cemetery, places at the Vagankovo ​​cemetery for burial in a coffin are not sold in principle, and burials in a coffin and urn are possible here only in the following cases:

• subburials in a family grave;
• burials of citizens who have services to the Fatherland.

While it is impossible to buy plots at the Vagankovsky cemetery for burial in a coffin, here you can purchase a niche (cell) in an open or closed columbarium for burying an urn.

Average prices for the services of the Vagankovsky cemetery

The cost of a niche in a closed columbarium is higher than in an open one. The price also depends on the location of the cell in height - the higher, the cheaper.

Average prices for burial in an urn in an open columbarium are 45-50 thousand rubles.

Average prices for burial in an urn in a closed columbarium are 60-70 thousand rubles.

Assistance in organizing a funeral at the Vagankovsky cemetery

The city funeral service Your Ritual will help you quickly arrange plots at the Vagankovsky cemetery for accessible types of burials. For advice, please call the 24-hour city information service

The Vagankovskoye cemetery, a necropolis with a two-century history, hundreds of thousands of graves and half a million buried, was founded in the 18th century, after the plague in Moscow. Previously, in the 15th-16th centuries, the Vagankovo ​​settlement was located here - the royal amusing yard, where jesters, buffoons and the sovereign's amusements "wasted" - naughty - to their hearts' content. This name was assigned to the cemetery, which, following the victims of the epidemic, received the graves of ordinary people - philistines, artisans, petty officials. In the 19th century, glorious compatriots from the world of culture began to be buried here - first, artists of the Imperial Theater, artists, writers, people of art, and after almost two centuries this tradition was finally entrenched. Now the graves of celebrities at the Vagankovsky cemetery are numerous, overgrown with legends and have become a place of "pilgrimage" for thousands of visitors every year.

Great Russian painters - a merchant, a serf and a Cossack

Under restrained-dark granite tombstones with indispensable Orthodox crosses at the Vagankovsky cemetery rest textbook artists of Russia.

Alexei Savrasov, landscape painter of the merchant class, teacher of Isaac Levitan, was among the founders of the Wanderers Society. His most recognizable painting, The Rooks Have Arrived, depicts the Church of the Ascension in the village of Susanino, Kostroma Province.

The outstanding portraitist Vasily Tropinin is the son of a serf. His artistic gift was noticed by noble patrons. Tropinin received an academic education, painted romantic, then more and more realistic portraits-types, full of soft charm.

Vasily Surikov, on the maternal and paternal lines, descended from glorious Cossack families. This artist is best known for his large-scale historical canvases “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”, “Menshikov in Berezovo”, “Boyar Morozova”, “Suvorov Crossing the Alps”.

The tombstones of the great Russian painters - a merchant, a serf and a Cossack - are set above the iconic burials in a long row, which is formed by the graves of celebrities at the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Mass graves as milestones in history

The Vagankovskoye cemetery, founded during the epidemic, was originally a place of mass burials. Subsequently, they were buried here:

• those who fell in the turning point and bloody Battle of Borodino in 1812;
• those who died in a mass crush on the Khodynka field during the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896;
• victims of the mass repressions of the 1930s;
• defenders of Moscow, who stopped the Nazi blitzkrieg with the counteroffensive of 1941-1942.

These mass graves at the Vagankovsky cemetery remind us of the tragic death of many of our compatriots.

Bronze sculptural portraits on high corrugated columns are set on a common brown granite podium that covers the graves of Dmitry Komar, Vladimir Usov and Ilya Krichevsky. During the August putsch of 1991, they died while trying to stop an infantry fighting vehicle in a tunnel under Novy Arbat. Historically, the last Heroes of the Soviet Union received the highest award of the state posthumously.

Yesenin's grave.

Under the monument of dark and light gray granite rests a great poet with a unique lyrical gift. In the past, marvelous blue eyes, “gold and copper” hair, enchanting scandals with which Yesenin plagued Isadora Duncan in Europe and America, a gloomy suicide in the Petrograd “Angleterre” and the last poem written with his own blood remained. Immortal, soulful, amazingly imaginative lyrics are published, read, re-sung again.

Next to the pedestal with gilded letters and a block of light gray marble with a half-length sculptural portrait of Sergei Yesenin, there is a low tombstone of his mother, and Galina Benislavskaya, who during her lifetime was called the “good angel” of the poet, is buried behind. The following winter after his death, in December 1926, she came to Yesenin's grave and committed suicide with a shot in the head - after all, in this piece of land, as she wrote before her death, there is everything dear to her. Here, next to the ashes of the great poet, who embodied the lyrical spirit of Russia in his poems, several more suicides of his fans occurred in different years.

stage stars

The galaxy of famous people of the theater buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery is opened by Pavel Mochalov, an outstanding romantic actor of the 19th century. His uneven play made a deep impression: the audience came to the performances because of the famous “Mochalovsky minutes”, when, against the background of an ordinary, unremarkable performance, several incredibly effective lines suddenly appeared, followed by a flurry of enthusiastic applause.

The reformist director, symbolist, futurist, master of the grotesque Vsevolod Meyerhold was repressed in 1939, shot in 1940, cremated and buried among unclaimed ashes at the Donskoy Monastery. However, the tombstone over the empty grave is located at the Vagankovsky cemetery - the monument was erected shortly after the posthumous rehabilitation of Meyerhold, when the whereabouts of his remains were not yet known.

The burial of the extremely popular People's Artist of the RSFSR Andrei Mironov, who died on stage during the performance of The Marriage of Figaro, is marked by a black marble monument - a triple row of backstage framing a dark background stele with a narrow cross-slit. From time to time it is necessary to restore the bronze chain enclosing the burial: rumor ascribes to it the ability to bring wealth and love power.

The tombstones of the original Oleg Dal, the inimitable Georgy Vitsin, the famous Bulat Okudzhava are extremely restrained.

Above the grave of Igor Talkov, a rock musician with a bright political and civic position, a large bronze crucifix in the Old Slavonic style was installed on the foot of polished black granite. The death of an artist shot at a concert is marked by prophetic coincidences: shortly before his death, Igor Talkov brought home a large cross he had found, and in a private conversation he predicted his own murder in a large crowd of people, and that the killer would not be found.

Very young stage stars, 13-year-old Arseny Kurylenko and 14-year-old Kristina Kurbatova, performed their last roles in 2002, in the musical Nord-Ost. They died during the terrorist attack on Dubrovka and are buried side by side, under light-colored steles with oval bas-relief portraits.

Vladislav Listyev

The famous TV presenter, journalist, businessman was shot dead in 1995 at the entrance of his own house. The investigation into this case is still not closed, the customers and perpetrators of the murder have not been found.

By the time of his death, Vladislav Listyev, the creator of the iconic television program "Vzglyad", the first host of the "Field of Miracles", had been exactly 34 days in the position of general director of the ORT channel. He planned the concept of television without commercials, conceived new projects ... but now on his grave, on a black marble slab, sits a sharp-winged bronze angel, light, graceful and inconsolably mourning.

Alexander Abdulov

The most popular theater and film artist, an idol who conquered many hearts, did without understudies in risky shootings. The last film with the participation of Alexander Abdulov was called "Nowhere with Love or Fun Funeral." He was released in 2007, and in 2008 the actor died at the age of 54 from a serious illness that leaves no hope.

Above the grave there is a block of grayish-white marble, along which the inscription "Alexander Abdulov" goes in ascending steps of letters. Above, on a polished area, there is a black-and-white portrait of the actor in the image of Lancelot from the movie-parable "Kill the Dragon". A relief cross is carved on the side of the monolith.

Not only fans come to Abdulov's grave, but also those who dream of a brilliant stage career. Rumor has it that the success envisioned here can really come, but the price of acting success will be a short life.

Grave of Vladimir Vysotsky

The grave of Vladimir Vysotsky is marked by a sculptural monument by Alexander Rukavishnikov. It was this option that the relatives chose, noting the unusual, right down to the mole on the left cheek, the similarity of the sculpture with the person they remembered alive. Vysotsky's widow, Marina Vladi, and fellow artists from the Taganka Theater believed that something abstract or completely unearthly should stand over the grave - for example, a meteorite. However, the associative array that accompanies Rukavishnikov's realistic sculpture is close and understandable to everyone who listens to Vysotsky's songs. Here is the invariable guitar of the bard, here are the recalcitrant “Fussy Horses”, and the creator of countless songs, as if breaking out of a limiting or, perhaps, a funeral veil, confirms: “I didn’t manage to, as I liked - sewn-covered. I, on the contrary, - went publicly from granite.

They say that a visit to this grave gives inspiration to poets, professional success to musicians, but the life of creators, like Vysotsky's, becomes short-lived.

Burning candles at the grave of Father Valentine

Archpriest Valentin Amfiteatrov, rector of the Kremlin Archangel Cathedral from 1892 to 1902, is revered as a miracle worker. A memorial cross was erected at the place of his burial. Living flowers and inextinguishable candles at the grave of Father Valentine are left by those who go to the "Moscow comforter" in search of a miracle, for healing and help from above.

Sincerely believers see here a "disembodied elder", notice the face of a kind-hearted priest on a commemorative plaque. Such phenomena are considered a good sign, evidence that the request will be fulfilled.

Sonka the Goldhand

The grave of the famous adventurer of the past, Sonya the Golden Hand (Sofya Blyuvshtein) at the Vagankovsky cemetery is a legendary and actively visited place. There are different opinions about who is actually buried under a gilded statue of a female figure in antique drapery, devoid of arms and head. Nevertheless, the criminal public regularly covers the monument with commemorative notes from the Solntsevo lads, requests to teach them how to live, give happiness to the Zhigan and pacify the "cops". People go to this grave, hoping to get luck in a card game, salvation from a knife and a bullet.

Here, at the Vagankovsky cemetery, under luxurious sculptural tombstones, criminal authorities Vyacheslav Ivankovich (“Jap”) and Otari Kvantrishvili are buried.

Mystical stories of the Vagankovsky cemetery

The ancient necropolis, densely filled with graves from different eras, cannot do without mysterious visions and inexplicable phenomena. Sensitive people at the appointed hour notice on the local paths a ghostly soldier in the form of a Napoleonic army. He struggles to say something, opens his mouth wide, but makes completely soundless speeches. Fans of walking around the cemetery at dusk, no, no, and even meet a nameless wandering grave with a luminous cross and a hospitably open fence, into which no one has yet dared to enter.

The mystical stories of the Vagankovsky cemetery also have a more accurate address. The grave of Aglasia Tenkova, who died at a young age, is adorned with a bas-relief of a grieving angel, set up by her inconsolable father. According to lovers of the paranormal, those who unnecessarily hold their eyes on this bas-relief fall into a trance and find themselves at a completely different grave, and sometimes far beyond the cemetery territory.

"Save me, God!". Thank you for visiting our site, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Orthodox community on Instagram Lord, Save and Save † - https://www.instagram.com/spasi.gospodi/ . The community has over 60,000 subscribers.

There are many of us, like-minded people, and we are growing rapidly, posting prayers, sayings of saints, prayer requests, posting useful information about holidays and Orthodox events in a timely manner... Subscribe. Guardian Angel for you!

There are a large number of cemeteries where every dead person finds their rest. In small towns and villages, finding a place is not difficult, but in cities, especially very large ones, this can become a real problem. Moreover, in such large cities there are certain burial places where ordinary people are not allowed to be buried. These cemeteries are intended only for those who have made a significant public contribution to public affairs. These include the graves of celebrities at the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Moscow Vagankovo ​​cemetery

It is considered a monument of cultural heritage. Not only the remains of famous people rest there, but also real works of art that belong to famous sculptors, architects and artists. The oldest burials are located in the northwestern part, where their area reaches 50 hectares.

Some historical information:

• It is located on the territory of the Central District of the capital in the Presnensky district. It is said that about 500 yews are buried here. human.
• 1771 - the year of foundation by order of Count Orlov. Since there was an epidemic of plague at that moment, it was forbidden to bury the dead within the city. That is why it was decided to use the rural cemetery of the village of Vagankovo ​​near Moscow.
• Initially, the dead from the plague were buried there, and then ordinary Moscow residents.
• In 1824, the Church of the Resurrection of the Word was built here. The church, as well as the annexes of the temple, are well preserved to this day, they are architectural monuments and are protected by the state.
• Since the territory of the capital is increasing, the city limits have reached it. Together with these, the status of this necropolis is also growing. Now he is one of the three most prestigious burial places.
• The buildings that are located on its territory have become not only cult, but also sightseeing objects.
• Nowadays, only the chosen one can get a place in this cemetery.
• Most often, tourists visit it in order to see the graves of famous Muscovites.

How to find a grave at the Vagankovsky cemetery? At the central entrance there is a large plan-scheme, mass graves, plot numbers, a church, an office, a columbarium are marked on it. A more detailed list of graves can be found on the Internet at special resources or refer to Artamonov's book. The structure of the cemetery is quite specific and it is easy to get lost there.

How to get to the Vagankovsky cemetery and opening hours

You can get to the burial place either:

1. By bus number 706. Get off at the Vagankovskoye cemetery station.
2. Metro. To the station "Ulitsa 1905 Goda". Exit the subway and go straight towards the Zvenigorod highway. Then turn left onto Sergei Makeev Street. And walk along it. To your left will be the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Opening hours of the Vagankovsky cemetery depend on the season. It must be remembered that for the winter time they are reduced due to the rapid onset of darkness. So from October to April, the entrance to the cemetery is open from 9.00 to 17.00, and from May to September - from 9.00 to 19.00.

In addition, as already mentioned, the church of the Resurrection of the Word is located on the territory of the cemetery. It was erected in 1824 according to the project of the architect Grigoriev. Now only the rotunda is visible from the old church. And in the new temple, divine services are constantly held. To get acquainted with the schedule of services at the Vagankovsky cemetery, you can go to the church website or call. In addition to the already named temple, there is also the Temple of St. Andrew the First-Called. This whole complex of architectural buildings was created in the style of the Moscow Empire.

Who is buried in the famous cemetery

At the present time, it is unrealistic to bury an ordinary person there. Only those who curry favor with the state have such a right. The list of those who are buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery includes not only individual graves, but also mass graves. Among them, there are monuments to such terrible tragedies and victims as:

• child actors who died on Dubrovka,
• killed in the battle of Borodino,
• Moscow defenders,
• victims of the Khodynka disaster,
• victims of the August coup,
• victims of Stalin's repressions.

There are also graves of celebrities at the Vagankovsky cemetery:

• actors: V. Vysotsky, A. Abdulov, P. Mochalov, G. Vitsin, L. Filatov, E. Gogoleva, V. Solomin, M. Tsarev,
• painters: A. Savrasov, V. Surikov, V. Tropinin,
• directors: V. Pluchek, S. Rostotsky, Y. Zavadsky, G. Chukhrai,
• writers and poets: B. Okudzhava, E. Permyak, S. Yesenin, G. Gorin, L. Oshanin,
• singers and musicians: V.Migula, V.Vysotsky, I.Talkov, Yu.Gulyaev, D.Pokrovsky, Yu.Saulsky, E.Svetlanov, V.Panina,
• football players: L. Yashin, I. Netto, E. Streltsov, N. Starostin,
• the creator of the theater museum - A. Bakhrushin and others.

Due to the fact that the cemetery contains a large number of famous burials, sightseeing tours are organized for visitors during opening hours. At present, the allocation of new places for burial is carried out quite rarely and in exceptional cases. It is allowed to carry out burial in related graves with tombstones, as well as in open and closed columbariums for urns with ashes. There is also the possibility of bringing urns into the ground.

Mostly in spring and autumn, a large number of tourists come to the territory of the Vagankovsky cemetery in order to look at the graves of their idols. Since they are scattered throughout the cemetery and you can get lost in the shady alleys of the cemetery, you can independently find a map of the graves you are interested in on the Internet and print it out or take the opportunity to visit this tourist site on a guided tour.

Since there are a large number of monuments on the territory of the cemetery, which, in addition to being of interest, are also cultural heritage, the number of tourists is growing every day. Remember that despite the interest in the graves and monuments of idols, you are still in the cemetery, which means show respect for all burials.

The Lord is always with you!