Unusual tombstones in cemeteries. Beautiful tombstones in the cemetery. A tombstone in the shape of a mobile phone in one of the Israeli cemeteries

I suggest taking a walk through the Novodevichy cemetery, which is located on the territory of the currently operating Resurrection Novodevichy Convent. About existence Novodevichy Cemetery in St. Petersburg, many people do not suspect it, believing that a cemetery and monastery under that name exists only in Moscow. However, today the St. Petersburg Novodevichy Cemetery is beginning to be revived, tombstones are being restored, interesting excursions are held (both regular tourist and special pilgrimage), and more and more people are learning about this place.

Before the revolution, the Novodevichy cemetery was one of the most expensive and prestigious in St. Petersburg and, although it was badly damaged during the Soviet period, to this day it remains a valuable historical necropolis. A walk through the Novodevichy Cemetery will be interesting both for those who like to study the biographies of outstanding people and for connoisseurs of artistic tombstones. There are also shrines here, where people come to pray or simply make a wish. About famous people, buried at the Novodevichy cemetery, can be read in a separate article. In the meantime, we will tell you about the most beautiful and unusual tombstones of the Novodevichy cemetery, and also get acquainted with its history (and the history of the monastery itself).

The most beautiful and unusual tombstones Novodevichy Cemetery in St. Petersburg

Among the tombstones at the Novodevichy Cemetery there are sarcophagi, obelisks, slabs, steles with crosses, pedestals, slides with large chips, monuments in the form of an oncoming wave, chapels, miniature temples... There are also monuments with portraits of the deceased, but quite a few of them have survived because Busts, bas-reliefs and other similar details were the first to suffer when the cemetery was destroyed.

Although a significant part of the pre-revolutionary burials have not survived to this day, we can still admire the surviving monuments of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which are of undoubted historical and artistic value.

Many headstones are created from valuable materials, including rare types of marble and granite. On some you can still read the names of the owners of the workshops where they were made.

From the point of view of artistic merit, family chapels and tombs stand out especially.

Unfortunately, they are all ruined and are unlikely to be restored to their former splendor, but even today they amaze with the quality and variety of design.

Perhaps the most beautiful is the Art Nouveau tomb of Lucia Gilse Van der Pals, née Johansen.

The massive chapel with a decorative frieze is a stylization of an ancient Egyptian tomb.

The tomb was built in 1904 according to the design of the architect V. Yu. Johansen in the workshop of Yu. P. Korsak. Its walls are made of Radom sandstone, the base is made of granite, and the floor is marble.

Inside the tomb, a marble bas-relief by the Piedmontese sculptor Pietro Canonica (1869-1959) (sometimes his last name is written “Canon” or “Canonico”) has survived. For my long life the master managed to work fruitfully in Russia, Italy, England, Turkey... Not everyone knows that once on Manezhnaya Square In St. Petersburg there was an equestrian monument to Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich by Pietro Canonica (1914). In 1918, the “ugly statue” was demolished, but in the Canonica House Museum in the Villa Borghese park in Rome, you can still see the models created for the monument to this day. Among other works of the Canon, we know the sculpture of the nun “After Taking a Vow” (one of the versions is currently exhibited in the St. Petersburg Museum of the History of Religion).

Buried in such an elegant chapel, Lucia (Lucy) was the daughter of the Danish professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Julius Johansen, and the wife of the Dutch consul, co-director of the Russian-American Manufactory of Rubber Products (the future “Red Triangle”), philanthropist and philanthropist Heinrich van Gilze van der Pals. Many people are familiar with the luxurious mansion of G. G. Gilze van der Pals on English Avenue (the current military registration and enlistment office). The mansion was built by Lucia's brother, the architect William Yulievich Johansen (he, as was said, designed this magnificent tombstone). Old photographs show that the rooms of the mansion were decorated with marble statues by Pietro Canonica, including the aforementioned figure of a nun. Apparently, Gilze van der Pals was a connoisseur of the work of the Canonics, so it is not surprising that he entrusted him with sculptural decoration graves of his beloved wife.

Another interesting burial from the point of view of artistic merit is the grave of artillery general Dmitry Sergeevich Mordvinov (1820-1894). This is undoubtedly one of the most famous and beautiful tombstones of the St. Petersburg Novodevichy cemetery. Unfortunately, the side plates with the name of the buried person have been lost, but the artistic metal fence has survived.

The most notable feature of the tombstone is the bronze figure of a seated angel above a marble sarcophagus. A living flower is often placed in the hand of an angel.

The sculpture of the angel was created in the workshop of the French sculptor and artist Charles Bertault. The St. Petersburg bronze foundry Berto (formerly F. Chopin) specialized in the production of small bronze plastics. For participation in the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, where the factory’s products were awarded a gold medal, Berto received the title “Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty.” Despite this, due to financial difficulties, after two years he had to close the business and return to France.

Sculptural monuments with marble or bronze figures of angels standing or sitting at a tombstone were very common in turn of XIX-XX centuries, but few such examples have survived to this day. Therefore, despite the fact that this is just a “standard” sample that is not related to the individuality of the customer, the tombstone is perceived as of great value.

As for the identity of D.S. Mordvinov buried here, it is known that he youth served in the artillery. In 1856, he was appointed head of a separate office of the War Ministry, and ten years later he became director of the office of the War Ministry, to which he devoted almost half of his many years of service. In 1872, Mordvinov was granted adjutant general to His Imperial Majesty; in 1881 he was appointed a member of the Military Council and awarded the diamond insignia of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1883, Mordvinov was promoted to artillery general, and in 1889 he celebrated his 50th anniversary of service in the officer ranks and received the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree.

It is also worth paying attention to the tombstone of the St. Petersburg architect, who, however, is not very well known to the public. This is Ivan Denisovich Chernik (1811-1874), who worked in the military department and built, in particular, the new building of the General Staff and the Kryukov (Naval) barracks.

The burial of I. D. Chernik is one of the most beautiful surviving monuments at the Novodevichy cemetery. It is a magnificent white marble sarcophagus on a high pedestal. The plaque with the epitaph and surname of the deceased has not survived, but the bas-relief portraits of I. D. Chernik himself and his wife have survived (the latter, unfortunately, was damaged by vandals and cannot be restored due to the specifics of Carrara marble.

The monument was made in the workshop of the Italian sculptor Domenico Carli in Genoa (1878).

One of the most unusual burials in Novodevichy cemetery is the grave of mathematician, professor Vladimir Pavlovich Maksimovich (1850-1889).

Maksimovich was born in St. Petersburg into a noble family and with early years had outstanding mathematical abilities. He studied in St. Petersburg and Paris, worked at Kazan and Kiev universities. At the beginning of 1889, the mathematician was diagnosed with severe mental illness, and in the same year he died at the age of 39.

The tombstone of Vladimir Maksimovich is a stone sphere in an artistic metal fence. On the sphere there are images of the signs of the zodiac and a quote from Byron’s poem “Euthanasia” on English (« Count o"er the joys thine hours have seen...»).

This poem is known in translations by I. Golts-Miller and V. Levik (in the latter’s arrangement this quatrain sounds like this: “It is close, the day calling for a funeral feast, ||Count the blessings of past days, ||And you will understand: whoever you were in life, ||Not to be, not to live - it’s much more accurate”).

To be continued...

Going to the city cemetery to look at unusual tombstones is probably the last thing that comes to mind. However, getting to know them can tell a lot about the culture of the people and individual residents of the country, as well as give an unforgettable experience, not only creepy, but also positive.

So in some cemeteries you can find real masterpieces worthy of becoming museum exhibits. Others are interesting for their historical value. If you throw away all superstitions and fears, you can discover something new and broaden your horizons.

The most unusual cemeteries in the world

Church of the Dead

In Urbania (Italy) the Church of the Dead is located, which is famous for its collection of 18 mummies dating back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The church once served as a cemetery, but then Napoleon ordered the bodies to be buried outside the city. During the move, it was discovered that the remains themselves had turned into mummies.

At first, what happened was taken as a miracle, but later experts found that the secret of such natural mummification lies in a special type of mold growing in those parts. She dried the bodies, absorbing moisture from the tissues.

The “exhibits” displayed behind the altar of the church each have their own history, for example, there is a woman who died in childbirth, and also the abbot of the brotherhood. Tourists come with pleasure to see the chilling spectacle. What’s interesting is that for the residents of Urbania, putting human remains on public display is not considered something immoral. On the contrary, it is an honor. Only outstanding personalities are given this honor.

Discovered in the 1920s, the Peruvian cemetery of Chauchilla dates back to approximately the 1st-2nd century AD, which means some of the remains are about 2,000 years old. They probably belong to the Nazca civilization (those who created mysterious geoglyphs in the sand).

Chowchilla contains thousands of burials, but the remains are not buried, but laid in a sitting position in open tombs, the walls of which were lined with bricks. What’s also surprising is the “facial expression” of the skeletons – they smile. A smile sometimes looks welcoming, and sometimes it looks creepy. There is a feeling that they are waiting for someone, inviting them to join.

Chowchilla bodies can be called a “scientist’s dream.” They were well preserved due to the dry desert climate, as well as due to a special burial technique: the dead were dressed in cotton clothes, then doused with resin.

The find made it possible to learn more about the Nazca people, but the preservation of this cultural heritage is under threat. The burial structures were partially looted and continue to be robbed by “black diggers.” They are interested in jewelry and ancient artifacts that were buried with the dead.

This portal tomb is located in the Burren (Ireland). The estimated time of its creation is 4000-3000. BC

The Pulnabron dolmen is a kind of tombstone made of 2 huge stone slabs of 2 m each, on top of which lies a third. It turns out to be a huge stone table. During the restoration, skeletons of more than 20 people were found under the dolmen, including a newborn child. Various things were also buried in the ground: weapons, dishes, household items.

Hanging coffins are a custom rather than a specific burial site. It is distributed in several regions: China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Instead of burying coffins in the ground, they are hung on rocks, high above the ground.

This was originally done to protect bodies from animals, but over time, hanging coffins became a tradition.

La Recoleta

You can walk around this necropolis in Buenos Aires for hours, looking at the structures there. At La Recoleta Cemetery there are not ordinary monuments, but large mausoleums that look like houses. It feels like you're walking around small town. Each of the 6,000 mausoleums has an individual style, sometimes reminiscent of Gothic chapels or Greek temples.

People from La Ricoleta were buried high society– presidents, politicians, writers, artists, famous doctors. That's why the buildings look so pompous.

Neptune Memorial

The Neptune Memorial was dedicated in 2007 in Biscayne Bay, Florida. This is the first underwater mausoleum, which became the resting place of thousands of dead. The idea is very original: at the bottom of the ocean, an entire city with roads, sculptures, and benches was sculpted from a mixture of cement and the ashes of cremated people. Reminds me of Atlantis.

But this is not just a structure, but an artificial reef. Thus someone's death will give new life. In addition, land area is saved.

On the roads of the underwater streets there are memorial tables with the names of the dead buried there. The reef area is 65,000 m2, but it continues to be expanded.

You can get a place in Neptune's cemetery for no less than $7,000. However, relatives will have to scuba dive to visit the grave of loved ones.

Unusual cemeteries and tombstones in Russia

City of the Dead

Often called City of the dead, the village of Dargavs (North Ossetia - Alania) is considered one of the most mysterious places in Russia. This ancient necropolis, hidden in the Caucasus Mountains, looks like the ruins of a medieval village at first glance. The crypts with the remains of the dead look like white houses with roofs. Only when you get closer do you realize what it really is.

By official version Valley residents buried loved ones there. Each family had a separate crypt. How more people buried there, the higher he is. Some sources claim that the oldest crypts date back to XVI century, supposedly at that time the plague was rampant in the neighboring territories, and the village became a burial place for dead patients.

Interesting fact: recently it was planned to film a new horror film in Dargavs, but the residents of the Republic took this news negatively, since for them the necropolis is sacred. As a result, the shooting was postponed.

This is the old necropolis of Moscow, containing a large number of tombstones that can be called works of art. Most of the time they are creations outstanding artists, architects and other craftsmen. The Vagankovskoe cemetery was founded in 1771. At first it served to bury patients who died from the plague, then the poor were buried there.

Celebrities appeared here only in the 19th century. Now on the territory of the Vagankovo ​​necropolis you can find the burial places of famous Russian figures: Vladimir Vysotsky, Alexander Abdulov, Vladimir Voroshilov, Bulat Okudzhava, Oleg Dahl, Sergei Yesenin. To see the most interesting places, you can book a tour with local guides.

The grave of the famous criminal Sonya “The Golden Hand” especially stands out at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. It is believed to bring good luck and material gain. Therefore, “pilgrims” come to her (mostly representatives of the criminal world, although there are also ordinary people). They write down their requests on paper and leave them near Sonya. The statue, by the way, is missing arms and head. They say it was broken off by some drunk man who was trying to climb in and kiss his idol.

But people come to Vysotsky’s grave for inspiration. Some even claim that the poet in some mystical way helps them compose lyrics and poems. His monument also deserves attention: the sculptor sculpted Vysotsky in bronze, wrapped in a kind of straitjacket and escaping from the flames. Next to him is his eternal companion – a guitar.

Yesenin's grave is notorious for its sadness. Near her, many people committed suicide, following the example of the notorious poet. It all started with his friend Galina Benislavskaya. She came to Yesenin’s burial place and shot herself in the head with a revolver. She was subsequently buried next to her lover.

The Vagankovskoe cemetery still keeps many secrets. It is worth visiting and getting acquainted with the history and legends of the local “residents”.

Novodevichy Cemetery

Another popular cemetery among Russians, which is an object of the country’s cultural heritage, is Novodevichye. This is because many celebrities are buried here - N.S. Khrushchev, A.N. Tolstoy, M.A. Bulgakov, N.V. Gogol, V.I. Vernadsky and others. The monuments erected in their honor are true masterpieces.

One of the most unusual graves of the Novodevichy cemetery belongs to Yuri Nikulin, a well-known Soviet actor. The sculpture depicts Nikulin sitting with a cigarette in his hand. It reflects the simplicity and sincerity of this person.

A marble chapel was erected in memory of Chekhov. And a memorial to the recognized surgeon A.N. Bakulev, the founder of cardiovascular surgery, looks like two hands holding a large red stone - a symbol of the heart.

Original tombstones

Père Lachaise is a large Parisian necropolis, which is visited by more than 3 million tourists annually. Why is he attractive? The last refuge was found on Père Lachaise huge amount famous figures: from composer Frederic Chopin to writer Gertrude Stein and musician Jim Morrison.

In addition, each grave has its own design. On top of some there are busts of the deceased, and near others there are amazing statues. For example, above the burial site of Oscar Wilde there is a sphinx carved from a 20-ton piece of wood. The memorial at the grave of musician and actor Fernand Arbelo depicts him holding his wife's face so that he can look at her face forever.

Merry tombstones

In the Romanian village of Sapinta there is a cemetery called Merry. The point is in unusual colored tombstones with images of scenes from the life of the deceased and a bizarre epitaph.

Such monuments turned a dull place into something cheerful and bright. Although, if you look closely at them, you will notice that the drawings and phrases engraved on the tombstones are not so joyful. For example, one of them depicts a man who was hit by a truck. Another contains the inscription “don’t disturb my mother-in-law, otherwise she will bite your head off.”

The monuments were carved from wood and hand-painted by a local artist. He continued to do this business until his death in 1977, having completed more than 800 objects. Now the cemetery has been turned into a museum, which is popular among tourists.

It is quite natural that Jules Verne, the father of science fiction, would have unusual monument. 2 years after his death, a sculpture entitled “Vers l’Immortalité et l’Eternelle Jeunesse” (“Towards immortality and eternal youth”) was installed. The statue depicts the writer breaking a tombstone and emerging from a crypt.

A strange procession that never moves

Surprisingly, this monument belongs to the grave of only one person - Colonel Henry G. Wooldridge. It is located in Maplewood Cemetery, Kentucky. The statues were built under the direction of the military man during his lifetime. It took 7 years to create from stone all the people dear to him whom he had lost, including his mother, sisters, and wife. There is also a sculpture of Henry Wooldridge's favorite horse on the grave.

Weeping Angel

This statue commemorates Seattle entrepreneur Francis Haseroth. A seated bronze angel of human height holds an inverted torch - a symbol of extinct life. The mysticism of the angel is added by the black “tears” that seem to flow from his eyes.

Unusual tombstones can be found in probably every cemetery. People erect in honor of loved ones or in memory of themselves not only beautiful monuments depicting a person resting under it, but also statues in the form of cars, pieces of furniture, theater stage, favorite animals. There is even a tombstone with a computer carved into it, as well as a cell phone!

Grieving relatives do everything to perpetuate the memory of their deceased loved ones, turning ordinary gravestones into either something very allegorical or into sculptures that are real works of art

Grieving relatives do everything to perpetuate the memory of their deceased loved ones, turning ordinary gravestones into either something very allegorical or into sculptures that are real works of art:

1. Woman at the piano. She may have been a musician during her lifetime.

2. This woman really loved Mickey Mouse

3. Maybe this guy died because he smoked too much?

4. The tomb of the creator of the labyrinth

5. "Eternal Dream"

6. The tree swallowed the old grave

7. Tombstone over the grave of the inventor of the gas lamp, Charles Pigeon, Montparnasse cemetery, Paris, France

8. This grave was made at the behest of a grief-stricken mother for her late 10-year-old daughter in 1871.

When the girl was alive, she was terrified of thunderstorms. Next to her grave there is a special basement that was dug to the level of the coffin. During a thunderstorm, the girl’s mother went down to the basement to “calm down” her child.

9. A life-size monument to a girl under a glass cover was custom-made at the request of her mother.

10. This is the grave of a 16-year-old girl. The tombstone was made by order of her sister

11. “Love to the grave”, Thailand

12. This monument depicts the Savior holding in his hands two ropes from a simple children’s swing with a crossbar

A little girl is sitting on a swing below. Sculptural composition reminds us that the life of everyone on earth is in the hands of God.

13. A tombstone in the shape of a mobile phone was discovered in one of the Israeli cemeteries

The tombstone is engraved with various inscriptions, for example: “Please leave a message - I will reply as soon as I can.”

14. "Together Forever"

15. This terrifying grave is located in a cemetery in Genoa, Italy.

16. The grave of the Belgian writer Georges Rodenbach.The tombstone represents the writer himself, rising from the grave with a rose in his hand

17. The design of this Victorian grave is to ensure that the dead do not leave their final resting place.

Many in those days firmly believed in the existence of vampires and thus prevented the release of the reincarnated deceased. In fact, medical students needed corpses to study anatomy, and in order to gain knowledge, they did not disdain excavating fresh graves. To protect the assassination attempt, relatives ordered forged gratings for the graves of their loved ones.

18. Nature is inexorable...

19. Fernand Arbelot was a musician and actor who died in 1990

He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. During his lifetime, Fernand wished to look at his wife's face forever.

20. 18th century gravestone under which a French journalist rests

21. Gravestone in the form of a scrabble board

22. The graves of a Catholic woman and her Protestant husband, who were not allowed to be buried together

In the 1800s, it was illegal for Catholics and Protestants to be buried in the same cemetery.

23. This grave is all that remains of an old rural cemetery in India

An interstate highway was built on the site of the cemetery. The grandson, whose grandmother was buried there, refused to move the grave. In the end, the authorities met him halfway and built a road around the grave.

In fact, people are scared in most cemeteries because this is the place where they remember death, including their own death. But these cemeteries are simply teeming with stories of ghosts and unusual facts! Do you want to tickle your nerves? Here you go.

You might be surprised that the first cemetery photo on this list is of an airport. However, it really is a cemetery! Under runway No. 10 contains the graves of the Dotson couple, a married couple who used to live in a house on the site of the airport and were buried in a plot next to it. The airport repeatedly negotiated with the Dotsons' relatives about transferring the remains, but they did not agree, and this is not allowed in the United States without the consent of the relatives.

The architectural splendor of the Recoleta cemetery is amazing, but it was included in this list not because of it, but because of a number of terrible and unusual stories about those who are buried there: next to the grave of Evita Peron, on which there are always fresh flowers, are buried Rufina Cambaceres, a girl who was buried alive and woke up from a coma right in the coffin, and David Alleno, a poor gravedigger who saved money for thirty years to the burial plot, and having saved up, he committed suicide.

We are used to cemeteries being underground, but the Philippine Igorot tribe bury their dead... in the air. Cemeteries always hang over the heads of people from this tribe. For example, this rock covered in coffins looks creepy!

This cemetery is a popular tourist attraction in the Romanian village of Sapinta. Cemetery monuments, painted in bright colors, take us away from the mournful atmosphere of the place, and the epitaphs on them are funny and even satirical.

This is perhaps one of the most famous cemeteries in England. Every crypt and every statue here is an architectural masterpiece. But besides this, the cemetery is famous for its abundance of ghosts - for example, the tall Highgate vampire with a hypnotic gaze. Another famous ghost is a mad woman running around a cemetery looking for the children she killed.

Greyfriars Cemetery is an old cemetery with a rich history. It was founded in the 1560s. at the local prison. Of the 1,200 prisoners, only 257 came out of it alive - the rest remained here forever. Now a rare brave man will dare to enter the gates of Greyfriars at night - the souls of the innocent killed will not give him peace.

People are afraid to visit even ordinary cemeteries. What would you say about the whole island of the dead? It's in Venice! When it was established that burials on the main territory of Venice led to unsanitary conditions, the dead began to be taken to San Michele. This is still done in a specially designated gondola.

The mining towns of La Noria and Humberstone are located in the middle of the desert in Chile. The history of these towns - terrible story about the violence of masters against their slave miners. Sometimes they were simply brutally killed, not sparing the children. They were buried in the La Noria cemetery; Now, when you are in this cemetery, you cannot leave the feeling of an otherworldly environment around. There are many open and dug graves in the cemetery, from which even skeletons are showing!

4. Chiesa dei Morti (Church of the Dead), Urbino, Italy

The Church of the Dead is famous not only for its big name, but also for its exhibition of mummies. Behind the classic baroque arch there is a wonderful view of most of them. Each of the 18 surviving mummies is in its own alcove. The church was built, characteristically, by the Brotherhood of the Good Death.

3. Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, USA

This place is legendary as one of the most haunted cemeteries in America. Eyewitnesses confirm the appearance of strange figures in the cemetery. One of the famous ghosts is a white lady with a child in her arms. Also in the 1950s. many visitors to the cemetery reported a ghostly house. In addition, a farmer with a horse, killed nearby, and a black dog appeared in the cemetery.

The number of “inhabitants” of the Paris catacombs is almost three times higher than the number of Parisians living above - almost 6 million corpses are buried here. The vibrant life of the chic “upper Paris” is terribly different from the gloomy city of the dead underground. Here you can find entire corridors of skulls and bones. The Parisian catacombs are huge, and no one knows how intricate their labyrinth is: it is quite possible to get lost here forever.

The Capuchin Crypt is 6 rooms located under the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione in Italy. It contains 3,700 skeletons of Capuchin monks. When their remains were brought here in 1631, they filled 300 carts and were buried in soil specially brought from Jerusalem. After 30 years, the remains were exhumed and displayed in the hall. But the worst thing is not the mummies themselves, but the “message of brotherhood” translated into 5 languages: “We were what you are. You will be what we are."