Cemeteries of Europe. The largest cemetery in Europe. Arlington National Cemetery

When most of us are asked to visit a cemetery, very sad images involuntarily arise, our mood is slightly spoiled, and the author of such an idea seems to be a rather strange person. Meanwhile, places of grief and sadness are also called places of peace and harmony. Here bodies find their final refuge, and souls find peace. And not only the dead.

A walk through the necropolis can be very peaceful, not to mention that many cemeteries will delight aesthetes with the elegance and even luxury of their decoration. And the most amazing thing is that cemeteries tell much more about life than they evoke thoughts of death. Want to make sure?

1. Cimitirul Vesel, Sepinca

Translated from Romanian, the name of this necropolis means “merry cemetery”. It would seem, what's fun here? Meanwhile, you can often hear laughter here. And this will not offend anyone: according to ancient Romanian beliefs, the transition to another world is the beginning better life, which means there’s nothing special to be sad about.

However, if you do go to the cemetery, you will quickly understand the reason for the fun. On wooden tombstones painted with bright colors, in a cheerful and ironic manner, their author, local artist and sculptor Stan Jon Petrash, told how the people buried here lived and how they died. On many crosses (and Petrash created more than 700 of them) there are small poetic messages in a rather frivolous form. Unfortunately, they are all written in Romanian, but if you take a translator with you, they will tell you stories like this:

“My mother-in-law lies here. If she had lived a year longer, I would be lying here.”

“The deceased was a bitter drunkard and a bully. He constantly annoyed his neighbors until he was run over by a car to the delight of the entire village."

Petrash himself is buried here, the inscription on his grave reads: “In my entire life I have never harmed anyone...”, and his students continue the work of making bright and cheerful monuments.

2. Vienna Central Cemetery

One of the largest cemeteries in Europe is the Vienna Central Cemetery. It is located in the Simmering region and has about three million graves. You will agree that it is unrealistic to get around them all on foot, and therefore, since 1971, a special bus has been running along the ring road that crosses most of the cemetery - for those who do not have their own car. The only day of the year when moving around the cemetery is difficult is All Saints' Day. On this day, not only does the bus not run, but you can also get stuck in a traffic jam using your own transport.

However, the cemetery is not famous for its size. This is one of the most “musical” necropolises in the world: here are Mozart’s tombstone (just a monument, the composer was buried in St. Mark’s cemetery in a common grave), as well as the graves of Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonio Salieri, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss- father and Johann Strauss the son, as well as many other musical figures.

3. First Athens cemetery

Lovers of large shady parks in Athens have nowhere to go - except perhaps to the park near the parliament building or... to local cemetery. It is located almost in the center of the Greek capital and can successfully replace both a park and a museum. Firstly, there are a lot of trees, and secondly, many monuments and crypts made by famous Greek sculptors are real masterpieces.

One of the most famous monuments— “The Sleeping Girl” by Giannulis Halepas (the author’s last work before he was declared schizophrenic), the embodiment of local ideas that death is nothing more than an eternal sleep. It is also worth looking at the huge pantheon, decorated with marble friezes with ancient scenes, on the grave of Heinrich Schliemann, an archaeologist who became famous thanks to the search for the legendary Troy and excavations of ancient Mycenae.

4. Grand Jas, Cannes

But in France, turning an old cemetery into a park is quite common. One striking example is Grand Jas, where the first burials date back to 1866.

This cemetery became famous due to its unusual landscape - burials were made in the form of terraces on the hillside - as well as amazing sculptural works. This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in France. On its narrow paths, along which eucalyptus trees grow, it is very pleasant to walk, thinking about the eternal and vain, admiring the beautiful monuments and remembering the famous people who are buried here.

The last refuge here was found by the writer Prosper Merimee, the ballerina Olga Khokhlova, ex-lover Pablo Picasso, jeweler Carl Faberge, pilot Nikolai Popov...

5. Staglieno, Genoa

This cemetery is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in Europe: the unique marble sculptures for the tombstones that are installed here were made by such masters as Eduardo Alfieri, Giulio Monteverdi and Leonardo Bistolfi.

Staglieno Cemetery was officially founded on January 1, 1851, but is still not closed to burials. Among famous people who are buried here can be named: the author-performer, poet Fabrizio di Andre; military and politician Nino Bixio; politician, writer and philosopher Giuseppe Mazzini; as well as Oscar Wilde's wife Constance Lloyd.

6. Mirogoj, Zagreb

The design of this cemetery in the neo-Renaissance style with shady alleys and arcades was carried out by the Austrian architect Hermann Bolle. And the plot of land on which it was built belonged to the Croatian poet, educator, and linguist Ljudevit Gai. And the peculiarity of this cemetery is that representatives of various faiths are buried here: Catholics and Protestants, Muslims and Jews, Orthodox and Mormons, and atheists also find their last refuge in the local shady alleys.

Such famous Croats are buried here as: politician Vladimir Bakarich, actress Ena Begovic, poet and educator Stenko Vraz, astronomer Oton Kucera, dissident Stjepan Djurekovic, laureate Nobel Prize chemist Vladimir Prelog, first President of Croatia Franjo Tudjman.

7. Cimitero Monumentale, Milan

Not the largest (even in Milan it is in second place in this category), this cemetery is a living museum of the history, architecture and culture of Italy. Rich Italian families, both during their lifetime and after leaving this world, never cease to compete in luxury and originality.

The crypts and sculptural compositions for this cemetery were made by the brightest architects and sculptors of the last century and a half. You will find here classical monuments, and masterpieces of abstract art, and family crypts, and monumental tombs.

Composer Giuseppe Verdi, tenor Franco Corelli, conductor Arturo Toscanini, Formula 1 racing drivers father and son Ascari, members of the Campari winemaking family (be sure to see the sculptural composition “The Last Supper” installed on their family tomb) and many other prominent Italians are buried here .

8. Highgate Cemetery, London

It was designed by architect Stephen Geary, opened in 1839 and quickly became a fashionable burial site. By the way, burials are still taking place in some parts of the cemetery to this day. The oldest part of it, where there are many amazingly beautiful Victorian tombstones and mausoleums, can only be accessed as part of a tourist group, but it is worth it.

The cemetery is also famous for the graves of people buried here (the founder of Marxism, Karl Marx; writers Ellen Wood, Douglas Adams, John Galsworthy, Anatoly Kuznetsov; former employee FSB, assistant to Boris Berezovsky Alexander Litvinenko; physicist Michael Faraday), and legends. In particular, many stories are connected with vampires who allegedly lived here.

9. Montjuic, Barcelona

The Montjuïc cemetery is located on the hill of the same name, offering a beautiful view of the sea, which in itself is worthy of attention. But it’s not worth visiting for the view.

First of all, burial traditions in Spain are very different from what we are used to. Here the deceased are buried in concrete niches that form entire multi-story buildings and from a distance resemble houses. In addition, the Montjuïc cemetery, designed by architect Leander Albareda, is decorated with numerous arches, terraces and marble statues. And almost all buildings, crypts and monuments are made in the Gothic style.

Opened in 1883, the Montjuïc cemetery is still active today and many famous people in Catalonia are buried here. It is also famous for the fact that Pedro Almodovar filmed here final scenes film "All About My Mother".

10. Pere Lachaise, Paris

Well, let's end with this famous cemetery France, an indispensable participant in any ratings devoted to this topic.

It is located in the 20th municipal district of Paris and is officially called Eastern Cemetery.

A poor quarter, a merchant mansion, and a monastery replaced each other on this site, until early XIX a cemetery has not been built here for centuries. Although not very popular at first due to its rather remote location, Père Lachaise has nevertheless become one of the most significant necropolises in the world.

Marshals Murat, Ney and Davout, poets and writers Guillaume Apollinaire, Honore de Belzac, Jean-Baptiste Moliere, Marcel Proust, Gurtrude Stein, Oscar Wilde (one of the most visited graves, by the way), composers Georges Bizet, Frederic Chopin and Luigi Cherubini , artists Amadeo Modigliani, Camille Corot and Dominique Ingres, actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Annie Girardot, ballerina Isadora Duncan, inventor Ettore Bugatti (car lovers know this name well) and many, many, many others...

As you can see, visiting a cemetery can be associated not only with a tragic event. In necropolises, like nowhere else, you can feel the soul of the people - poetic, romantic, cheerful, everyone has their own.

13 Unique and Fascinating Cemeteries in Europe

While cemeteries are always associated with death, grief, and sadness, they can also be fascinating places to visit, inviting living with their quaint serenity, striking architecture, or manicured parkland.

From whimsical ancient necropolises to architecturally stunning contemplative places and true museums under open air These eeriely beautiful and completely unique cemeteries in Europe are worth the trip alone.

Skogskyrkogården Woodland Cemetery, Stockholm, Sweden

Designed by Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Leverenz, Skogskirkogården - the Cemetery in Stockholm - is considered a masterpiece of Scandinavian classicism and an outstanding example of how nature and architecture can exist in perfect harmony.

More than just a burial site, this UNESCO-protected park is shrouded in peace and tranquility, a place for walking, contemplation and bird watching. Guided tours are available during the summer months.

Hidden away in a small Romanian village, the Cheerful Cemetery (Cimitirul Vesel) is certainly one of a kind. Bright blue wooden crosses cemeteries are personalized with cheerful paintings and darkly humorous epitaphs about the life of the deceased.

The site is located in the village of Sapanta, Maramures (approximately 600 km from Bucharest) and is considered a monument folk art of inestimable value.

Founded in the 15th century, the Old Jewish Cemetery in Josefov is one of Prague's most unique and exciting attractions. Some 12,000 dilapidated tombstones from different periods are crowded into this compact plot of land, but more than 100,000 Jews are said to be buried here. This gives the cemetery, which is Europe's oldest surviving Jewish cemetery, a mysterious, mournful feeling.

The place is in charge Jewish Museum, and it also includes a tour of the museum and visits to various synagogues.

Hidden in the Caucasus Mountains of North Ossetia, Dargavs – also known as the “City of the Dead” – is shrouded in myth and mystery. City of the Dead is an ancient necropolis that impresses with its grandeur. The medieval necropolis is located in the valley of the Midagrabindon River, not far from the Ossetian settlement of Dargavs. It is known that the tradition of burying ancestors in above-ground tombs is associated with the ancient beliefs of the Ossetians.

With its shaded, winding paths through tombs, crypts and mausoleums, Highgate Cemetery is undoubtedly one of London's most beautiful and elegant cemeteries. The Victorian Cemetery, opened in 1839, is both a nature reserve and historical monument Grade I, famous for its beautiful funerary architecture and famous people, buried here. Among them are Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, George Eliot, scientist Michael Faraday and the family of Charles Dickens.

Highgate Cemetery is divided into two parts. While visitors are free to wander (for a small fee) through the Eastern Cemetery, the western section, where the most remarkable architectural features are located, can only be visited via guided tours.

Newgrange (New Grange, Shee an Wroe), Ireland

Dating back to 3200 BC, Newgrange is no ordinary burial ground. Older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, this interesting Neolithic burial ground in the ancient east of Ireland coincides with the Winter Solstice and consists of a huge kidney-shaped mound surrounded by borders engraved with Megalithic art. Inside, a 19-meter passage leads to a chamber with three niches and a stepped roof.

Although human cremated remains were discovered at the site during excavations, it is believed that the original purpose was much more complex, involving not only the burial of the dead, but also special rituals and ceremonies.

The site is open to the public all year round, but access to the chamber during the solstice, when the rising sun illuminates the room, revealing the carvings inside, is only for a lucky few.

The cemetery, located in London, is also the burial place of 15,000 people, most of whom are prostitutes and other social outcasts.

Situated at Redcross Crossing in Southwark, the disused medieval burial ground is now a memorial garden and place of deep pilgrimage spiritual significance, where monthly worship services are held, as well as various artistic events.

The sad history of Cross Bones Cemetery is indelibly linked to the history of London's first red light district and the Winchester Geese (women licensed by the church to work in local brothels), offering visitors a unique cultural experience.

With this a large number famous people buried within, it is no surprise that Père Lachaise is the most visited cemetery in the world. More than a sculpture garden than a burial ground, this Parisian landmark showcases a variety of styles of funerary art, featuring everything from ancient mausoleums and ornate Gothic tombs to Art Deco monuments and even Egyptian pyramids.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery is also the most big park in Paris, and a walk along its shady cobbled streets is like walking through history, as every tomb, crypt, and piece of stone has its own story. Moliere, Modigliani, Balzac, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and rock star Jim Morrison are buried here.

Norman American Cemetery and Memorial, France

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more tranquil European cemetery than the elegant Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. This 70-hectare memorial park features green manicured lawns overlooking Omaha Beach and perfectly aligned white marble crosses and Stars of David. It houses the remains of the 9,387 American soldiers who died in the D-Day landings, as well as an imposing colonnaded memorial built around a 25-foot (7-meter) statue called "The Spirit of America's Youth Rising from the Waves."

Designed by Italian architect Andrea Dragoni, the expansion of the historic necropolis of Gubbio in Umbria is a fine example of modern cemetery architecture. Inspired by the linear layout of the surrounding city, the project embodies the vision of an abstract urban settlement with its own avarice of internal streets, clearly defined cubic blocks clad in travertine, and large courtyards framing views of the sky - so-called "squares of silence" that serve simultaneously art galleries and places for reflection.

Proposed by architect Bernardo Bader, the striking, award-winning Vorarlberg Islamic Cemetery pays homage to the “first garden” and spans 5 finger-shaped cemeteries, prayer rooms, as well as various areas dedicated to Muslim burial rituals.

The red painted concrete complex combines local design with materials reminiscent of Islamic religious architecture. One of the most visually arresting features is the qibla wall facing Mecca, which is covered with a superb oak latticework. No less interesting are the gradient colored prayer rugs handmade in Sarajevo.

Of all the ancient ruins in Myra, these rock tombs are perhaps the most spectacular. Dating back to the 4th century BC, the necropolis, divided into two burial grounds, gives insight into ancient culture Lycians, their customs and beliefs. Carved into rock faces, these magnificent tombs are artistically designed to resemble houses or temples, and most are decorated with reliefs depicting mythological scenes or passages from the life of the deceased.

A magnificent island cemetery in the Venetian lagoon, San Michele is surrounded by orange brick ramparts and divided into categories. The place itself looks like a collection of tranquil, beautiful gardens with cypress trees, fresh flowers and a variety of graves decorated with photographs.

The largest and best landscaped area is dedicated to Catholics, but there are also sections dedicated to Protestants, Greek Orthodox, foreigners, and even gondoliers. Consequently, the variety of monuments is astonishing, from beautifully decorated sculptures to modern minimalist tombstones and magnificent mausoleums.

The island is also home to an ornate chapel and San Michele in Isola, a fine 15th-century white marble church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. Cimitero San Michele can be reached by vaporetto (shuttle boat) from the Fondamenta Nuove platform in Venice.

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Today, cemeteries are increasingly “growing” and occupy considerable areas in any country in the world. And if earlier relatives of the deceased came here to honor the memory of loved ones, then more and more often cemeteries are becoming a kind of cultural and historical place where tourists come and local residents come to relax, considering it their duty to visit the graves famous writers, politicians, military leaders, composers. What is the largest cemetery in Europe, which simply amazes with its enormous size?

1 Rostov-on-Don – Northern Cemetery

This is the largest cemetery in Europe, which is included in the famous Book of Records for its size. It is located in the northern part of the city and covers an area of ​​more than 350 hectares. More than 355,000 dead are buried there. The Northern Cemetery opened in 1972. At the main entrance, visitors are “greeted” by the Poklonny Stone, which is a memorial composition with a towering cross. On the territory of the cemetery there is a temple (Pokrova Holy Mother of God), there is a columbarium and a crematorium. In addition to the fact that this place is recognized as the largest in Europe, it is also the largest in our entire country.

2 St. Petersburg – Northern Cemetery

Another of the largest cemeteries in Europe can be called the resting place of the deceased in the northern part of St. Petersburg. The cemetery covers an area of ​​300 hectares, which is somewhat smaller in size than the cemetery in Rostov-on-Don.

3 Nizhny Novgorod – Novosormovo cemetery

This Nizhny Novgorod burial place can also rightfully be considered the largest cemetery in Europe, since 220 hectares of land have already been allocated for it. While local authorities once stated that this area is incredibly large and “off scale” beyond the norm, which is only 40 hectares.

4 Odessa – Western Cemetery

Slightly smaller in size than the Nizhny Novgorod Cemetery, a burial site in the western part of Odessa. The area of ​​this place is 200 hectares.

5 Vienna – Central Cemetery

The Vienna Cemetery, which has an area of ​​2.4 km2, is distinguished by its incredible size and unique beauty. More than 3,000,000 dead people are buried there. A cemetery has been created that looks more like a beautiful park and a wonderful place for family vacation, in 1874. From its main entrance there is a wide alley, which allows you to visit the burial places of famous people of Austria (Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms) and improve your cultural level. Thousands of music fans of famous Austrian composers and musicians visit this place every year, eager to visit all the graves of deceased celebrities.

6 Paris – Père Lachaise

This place is considered a real museum of tombstones, because it is in Père Lachaise that Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Honoré de Balzac, Sarah Bernhardt and other French celebrities who once delighted society with their talents are buried. Russian Decembrists were also buried in this cemetery.

The area of ​​this cemetery, opened by Napoleon in 1804, is approximately 48 hectares. In total, there are approximately 30,000 graves here. The largest cemetery in Paris and one of the largest in Europe, the cemetery is visited annually by millions of tourists who seek to honor the memory of great people and be amazed at the incredible beauty of this place.

They are a rather interesting burial place for the dead. The catacombs were made in the form of underground passages, which were created by a whole network and were used specifically for burial. In total, there are about sixty different catacombs in Rome, where 750,000 dead are buried. Moreover, even the remains of saints – the apostles Peter and Paul, executed in Rome – were once kept here. Tourists who come here every year huge amount, this place attracts not only the opportunity to see the remains greatest people, but also the desire to contemplate the amazing paintings on the walls, the most beautiful frescoes and especially beautiful sarcophagi.

As the famous joke goes, no one gets out of this thing called life alive. This is why most villages, not to mention cities, have their own cemeteries. Among them there are real giants, occupying huge areas and having a centuries-old history, on which millions of people are buried. At the same time, only a few can answer the question of where the largest cemetery in the world is located, or which graveyard is considered the oldest existing.

Corrawmore (County Sligo)

Before you find out which cemetery is the largest in the world, it is worth getting acquainted with the oldest mass burial site of prehistoric people known to mankind. According to scientists, this title rightfully belongs to Corraumor, located in County Sligo in Northern Ireland. This cemetery is the oldest megalithic complex and covers an area of ​​4 km. 60 ancient burials were found there, the oldest of which dates back to the Neolithic era. In other words, people began to be buried in the Corraumor cemetery before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids appeared. Most of the tombs are dolmens made of stones of a certain shape, and the largest is a stone pyramid with a base diameter of 34 meters, called Listogil.

Kidron Valley (Jerusalem)

Before the birth of Christ, for many centuries, the category “The largest cemeteries in the world” included one of the oldest graveyards in Judea, which is more than 3 thousand years old. It is located in Jerusalem and is known as the Kidron Valley. Scientists have calculated that at the moment At least a million people are buried there. It is interesting that this cemetery is active, and burial ceremonies for the dead are still performed there to this day. At the same time, burial places are very, very expensive, moreover, they are sold out for many years in advance, since, according to the beliefs of Jews, Christians and Muslims, God's judgment on the children of Adam will take place in the Kidron Valley. For this purpose, the Lord will descend there from the top of Maslenitsa Mountain and begin to send sinners to hell and the righteous to heaven.

The Kidron Valley is often mentioned when people talk about the most amazing and beautiful cemeteries world, since in this territory there are several ancient churches and luxurious tombstones that are hundreds of years old.

Wadi al-Salam (An-Najaf)

It is to this city that those who are looking for an answer to the question of what is the largest cemetery in the world should go. It is located in the south of Iraq, on the right bank of the Euphrates, and its population is about 900 thousand people. The city is considered sacred by Shiite Muslims and is visited by millions of pilgrims every year. The main attraction of An-Najaf is the Wadi al-Salam cemetery, whose name translated into Russian sounds like “Valley of Death”. On its territory of 6 square kilometers, about 6 million people found refuge, including many Islamic saints and imams of Iraq. The burial density is approximately 1 sq. m, which contradicts generally accepted sanitary standards. At one time, UNESCO was going to include the Annajaf cemetery in the list of world heritage sites, but the American military command, under whose control the city was, demanded that discussion of this issue be postponed.

Golgotha ​​(New York)

Of the graveyards in the Western Hemisphere, the Calvary Cemetery takes the lead in the list of “The Largest Cemeteries in the World.” It is located in New York, and more than three million people are buried there. Consists of 4 sectors located at a distance from each other, it was founded in 1848 by the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, in the first half of the 20th century, it was on Golgotha ​​that prominent representatives of the mafia were buried, and some episodes were filmed there famous movie Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather".

Northern (Rostov-on-Don)

The list of “The largest cemeteries in the world” also includes burial places located on the territory of our country. Moreover, Rostov-on-Don is even listed in the famous Guinness Book of Records as the largest city on the European continent. It covers 350 hectares and more than 355,000 people are buried there. The Northern Cemetery is relatively young: it will soon turn 45 years old. On the territory of the churchyard there is the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a columbarium, and at the main entrance there is a Poklonnaya stone crowned with an Orthodox cross.

La Ricoleta (Buenos Aires)

Now that you know which places of eternal rest are classified as “The Largest Cemeteries in the World,” it’s worth saying a few words about the most beautiful of them. One of them, of course, is La Ricoleta. It is located on the South American continent, and on its territory there are luxurious marble crypts that resemble mini-palaces. Many of them are decorated with statues carved famous sculptors, others are excellent copies of masterpieces of world art.

Père Lachaise (Paris)

This cemetery is one of the most famous and visited on the planet. Suffice it to say that its founder is considered to be Napoleon Bonaparte himself, who signed the corresponding order in 1804. In total, 30,000 people are buried at Père Lachaise, including Oscar Wilde, Isidora Duncan, Balzac, Edith Piaf, and others. This is where they found their final resting place. famous representatives Russian emigration and some Decembrists.

Maramures (Sepinca)

Many will probably be surprised to hear the epithet “merry” in relation to a cemetery. However, this still exists and is the main attraction of the village of Sapinta in the Romanian county of Maramures. Most of the wooden crosses in this rural churchyard were carved by local craftsman Stan Petrash, who decorated them with designs in the style naive art and provided them with comic epitaphs.

Now you know the graveyards that claim to be the most luxurious, famous and even fun.

Death is the finale of every person’s life, so cemeteries should be considered as memorials dedicated to people who left one or another mark in the life of their family or even entire states.

The variety of cemeteries in Europe can amaze the curious tourist: from ancient small graveyards to large-scale necropolises stretching over hundreds of hectares. The largest cemeteries in Europe are city-wide cemeteries, founded in the 19th and 20th centuries to bury the population of expanding cities. In our selection you will learn about the five largest cemeteries from five different countries:

Located near the city of Szczecin in western Poland, the Central Cemetery covers an area of ​​167 hectares and provides the final resting place for more than 300 thousand people. The cemetery was founded in 1901, when the city was still called Stettin and was part of Germany. The city government wanted to create a new, modern and convenient place for funerals, using the Ohlsdorf cemetery in Hamburg as a model.

After World War II, Szczecin became part of Poland, and the cemetery was renamed from the Main Cemetery of Stettin to simply the Central Cemetery. In addition, during the war, the central chapel, built in 1930 in the new part of the cemetery, was destroyed, and the communist leadership did not restore it. But the original temple survived, although in the 80s it almost died in a fire. After a long restoration, it was returned to its original appearance. The main attraction of the Central Cemetery is the Brothers in Arms Monument, built in 1967, and looking like the two wings of the famous Polish hussars rising above the graves.

Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, covers an area of ​​202 hectares where 235 thousand people are buried. This cemetery is a child of the industrial revolution. It was founded in 1845, when the capital of the British Empire - the largest city in the world at that time - was faced with the need to radically reform its funeral system. They even built a special railway line to Brookwood. In subsequent decades, cemetery management for many years tried to monopolize all funerals in the city, but never achieved its goal.

Brookwood grew even more in the second half of the 19th century, when London was actively rebuilt. The city authorities destroyed small church burials and removed the dead from there to a new place. In 1878, the first crematorium in the UK was built in Brookwood, although this method of burial gained popularity only in the 20th century. In the cemetery you can find burials of representatives of many religions, including even separate areas allocated for Zoroastrians and Ismaili Muslims.

The name of this cemetery refers not to its geographical location, but to its symbolic importance. Covering approximately 240 acres and serving as the final resting place for three million people, the Vienna Central Cemetery is considered one of the largest in the world. It can also be considered one of the largest monuments to the fallen Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The very idea of ​​​​creating such a huge cemetery arose in the mid-19th century, when Vienna was the center of a huge and mononational state. It would never have occurred to anyone then that the empire could collapse in less than a century, so a huge territory was allocated for a new cemetery. The official opening took place in 1874, and not without a scandal: some Austrian conservatives opposed the multi-confessional nature of the new cemetery, designed to reflect the unity of the Empire.

However, after the opening arose new problem- the enormous distance from the cemetery to the city itself made funerals there too difficult, and most townspeople chose places closer. In order to somehow attract attention to their project, the authorities decided to make the cemetery “musical”. The remains of many composers who died in the capital of Austria were transported there: Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Salieri, Strauss and others. Mozart's cenotaph is also located there - the exact place of his burial remains unknown. As a result, over the years the cemetery gained popularity and even became part of city folklore. Traditionally, tram number 71 went to him, which is why “to ride the 71st tram” became a euphemism for death among the Viennese.

The largest cemetery-park in the world is located in the city of Hamburg. Its area is 391 hectares, on which about one and a half million people are buried. It is widely known as one of the attractions of Hamburg, where not only tourists but also locals love to walk. It is very densely planted with trees and ornamental bushes, which is why many photographs give the impression that this is not a cemetery, but a public garden. At the cemetery there is a memorial to the fighters of the Hamburg Resistance - 55 anti-fascists executed by the Hitler regime during the years of dictatorship. Also at the Ohlsdorf cemetery, like at many other large German burial sites, there is a memorial to the victims of Nazism.

The history of the Oldorsf cemetery is quite prosaic: in 1877 it was built in rapidly growing Hamburg as a burial place open to representatives of all faiths and social groups. Over the following years, up to 40% of the dead in Hamburg were buried in the cemetery. And since the city’s population exceeded a million back in the 1920s, it is not surprising that by now the cemetery has acquired such impressive dimensions.

The Northern Cemetery holds the record for occupied area. A special bus runs through its territory of 400 hectares. True, in terms of the number of burials, the Rostov burial site is still inferior to the largest European ones: as of 2019, about 500 thousand people were buried there. This is due, first of all, to the comparative youth of the Northern Cemetery, founded only in 1972. However, according to the administration, the number of funerals sometimes reaches 50 people a day, so in the coming decades the Rostov cemetery will grow rapidly.

Due to their youth, not many famous people are buried in the cemetery, although a number of Soviet soldiers and scientists found their final rest there. In the 90s, the Northern Cemetery became a popular final resting place for reputable businessmen who died during numerous property redistributions in the South of Russia.

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