Волковское православное кладбище

Over 100,000 souls rest here. We stand before the Volkovskoe Pravoslavnoe Kladbishche, better known as the Volkovo Cemetery. One of the oldest and largest cemeteries in Saint Petersburg, Volkovo Cemetery whispers tales of Imperial Russia and beyond. Catherine the Great decreed in the 1770s that burials must move outside city limits. This was largely due to overcrowding and fear of disease. The Volkovo Cemetery, established in 1773, became a primary resting place, particularly for the city’s Lutheran German community. The first recorded burial was Johann Gebhard Brethfeld, a Saint Petersburg merchant. Now, imagine walking these grounds in the 19th century. Muddy paths were a constant issue. Wooden planks, called “mostki,” were laid down, creating walkways. These paths, particularly in the eastern section, became known as “Literatorskie mostki,” or “Writer’s Walkways.” This area became the final resting place for prominent literary figures. Among them are Ivan Turgenev, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, and Alexander Kuprin. The Volkovo Cemetery isn’t just a burial ground. It is a living testament to Saint Petersburg’s rich history and cultural heritage. Here lie not just writers, but scientists like Dmitri Mendeleev. Even Lenin’s mother and sister rest here, a fact that sparked controversy at the end of the 20th century. There were discussions of moving Lenin’s body from Moscow to be buried with his family at the Volkovo Cemetery. While it didn’t happen, the rumor of a secret tomb for Lenin persists to this day. The Volkovo Cemetery remains a place of quiet reflection, a place where the stories of the past continue to unfold.