Overview:

: Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery is a historic cemetery located on the northwest side of St. Petersburg in Russia. Established in 1860, it is the last resting place of more than 500,000 people, including victims of the Siege of Leningrad during World War II. The cemetery is also dedicated to those who lost their lives during the Revolution of 1917 and the October Revolution of 1917-1918. Visitors to the cemetery can explore its gritty history, while paying respects to the graves of those fallen in-service to both their homeland and Soviet Union. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Russia
Prominent Features:

1. Location: The Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery is located in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, Russia, close to the Moskovsky Prospekt. 2. Purpose: The cemetery was founded in the 1960s to honour the victims of World War II and to commemorate the Great Patriotic War. 3. Design: The cemetery is designed in a circular shape with a single entrance and is divided into three parts. The sections are arranged in order of importance with tombs and monuments in the center, graves of soldiers in the middle and then mass graves in the outermost layer. 4. Memorial Sites: At the center of the cemetery is the memorial to the victims of the sack of St. Petersburg, which features a bronze statue of a woman mourning over a touching angel. Other memorials on the cemetery include a memorial to the victims of the Siege of Leningrad, a memorial to victims of Stalin’s political repressions and an ossuary with the remains of over 400,000 unknown victims of the war. 5. Annual Commemorations: Every May 9, on the anniversary of VE Day, a solemn military parade is held at the cemetery and a memorial service is conducted. Other annual events include the “Silent Movies” ceremony, where small documentaries about the war are shown at the cemetery, and the “Honor and Memory” ceremony, where relatives of the victims lay wreaths at the poppies of the cemetery. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Russia.

History:

Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Russia is the final resting place for some 400,000 victims of the 900-day Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944). It was also the site of one of the most moving and powerful ceremonies during the memorials of the siege in the 1960s and 1970s. The cemetery is part of a larger complex located at Prospekt Kosmonavtov 57, which was established in the 1950s as a memorial site for those who perished during the siege. In November 1941, shortly after the siege began, the city officials buried victims in wooden coffins in an area known as the “People's Field”, located on the edge of the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery. This area was to become known as the “Avenue of Death”, where rows of wooden crosses were erected bearing the names of the dead. There were initially 31 of these rows of graves, later increased to 60, with the number of graves eventually reaching 405,000. In October 1944, when the siege was lifted, the people of Leningrad began the task of providing a proper tribute to all those who had died. This culminated in the grand opening of the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery, which took place on 27th January 1960 and was attended by 9,000 people. The ceremonies included speeches from the city's political leaders, veterans, and members of the public, as well as music and dancing. As part of the memorial, a giant granite boulder bearing the inscription “Almighty Memory” sits at the entrance to the cemetery. In 1961, the remains of those buried in the “Avenue of Death” were removed and relocated to the cemetery itself. In 1973, a memorial wall was built to commemorate the victims of the Siege of Leningrad and the “Blockade Ring”. The wall consists of four separate granite slabs bearing the names of those who died, and visitors come here to pay their respects to the victims. Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery serves as an important reminder of the tragic consequences of war and is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the people of Leningrad during the Siege. To this day, it remains a place of mourning, remembrance, and honour. Visit one of the famous monuments of Russia with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery was established on October 30, 1960 by the Soviet Government to honour the victims of the 900-day Siege of Leningrad, which lasted from 1941 to 1944. 2. Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery is the largest in Europe, with an area of over 4 million square meters. 3. It is estimated that over 500,000 people perished during the Siege, many of which are buried at the cemetery. 4. Its memorial alley is lined with 326 granite obelisks with the names of those who died during the Siege. 5. The cemetery also has a 67 meter high obelisk of marble on the highest point of the cemetery. 6. It also has a memorial chapel, a square with an eternal flame, and a museum commemorating the Siege. 7. On June 22 every year, the cemetery is an important place to remember the Siege of Leningrad as it is the day when the blockade was finally broken. One of the historical monuments of Russia, it tells the story of a bygone era