Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois (France). Russian cemetery in paris French cemeteries
The capital of France is known as a romantic place with a cheerful and carefree atmosphere. Meanwhile, there are places in Paris that are not at all conducive to fun, associated with the memory of the dead. However, Parisian cemeteries are not at all like domestic graveyards: they look different and are perceived more like.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
The resemblance to the park is especially characteristic of the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where a great many tourists come every day.
Here, there are far fewer grieving relatives behind the fence than people with cameras, and the feeling that you are in a museum is further enhanced decoration many headstones. There are dozens of expressive monuments, their photos look very advantageous.
Historians believe that no less than five hundred thousand people are buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery, including many figures of art and culture. Among others, musician Jim Morrison stands out, whose grave is considered the most visited, and writer Oscar Wilde, whose tombstone is literally littered with hundreds of kisses from fans. Romantic persons also cannot miss the burial place of the famous couple of lovers, Heloise and Abelard. Also worth noting are the graves of the artist Modigliani, the actress Sarah Bernhardt and the chansonnier Yves Montana, the singer Edith Piaf and the dancer Isadora Duncan.
For those who go to see the Pere Lachaise cemetery, it is better to stock up on a map of the district in advance, otherwise it will be problematic to find the right burial place, there are no signs at all in the alleys.
Cemetery of Montmartre
Another place where many celebrities are buried is in Montmartre. True, tourists who have reached this area prefer to explore the Sacré-Coeur Basilica and admire the picturesque streets; few people go to the Montmartre cemetery itself. But such outstanding figures of world culture as the writer Stendhal, composer Jacques Offenbach, ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, singer Dalida, director Francois Truffaut found eternal rest there.
The grave of the writer Emile Zola was also, until recently, in the Montmartre cemetery, but the French government nevertheless decided to rebury him in the Panthéon, along with other national figures.
National Pantheon
The Paris Pantheon was once a church, a classicist building was built by order of King Louis XV - he vowed to build a temple if he could be cured of a serious illness. The church was dedicated to the patroness, Saint Genevieve, but during the French Revolution, zealous fighters against religion decided to give the building under the mausoleum; it was supposed to bury the most prominent Frenchmen in it. The National Pantheon received its final status in the second quarter of the 19th century. The inscription above the entrance to the building says that the Fatherland gives thanks to great people.
More than 70 graves were arranged under the arches of the Pantheon. Some of the names are little known outside of France, but there are those that cannot be passed by indifferently. We are talking about the burial places of the philosophers Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the writers Victor Hugo and Emile Zola, the scientists Pierre and Marie Curie; the latter, by the way, is the only woman buried in the Pantheon for her own merit. In 2002, a solemn ceremony was held to reburial the ashes of the famous writer Alexandre Dumas, who gained official recognition more than 130 years after his death. However, he is not alone: the ashes of Louis Braille, the inventor of the alphabet for the blind, were also not transferred to the Pantheon immediately, only a century after his death.
Cemetery of Montparnasse
The Montparnasse cemetery used to be called the South. It was arranged in 1824, and it immediately acquired the status of a place where mainly artists and cultural figures are buried. Among the most famous figures are the playwright Eugene Ionesco, the poet Charles Baudelaire, the architect Charles Garnier, who built the Paris Opera.
Tourists will certainly be interested in visiting the grave of grandmaster Alexander Alekhine, who died in exile, the first of the domestic world chess champions.
Russian cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois
To visit the graves of other prominent compatriots who died in a foreign land, one will have to go to the southeastern suburbs of Paris, where the famous Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery is located. It was arranged after a large colony of Russian emigrants appeared in the town. In total, more than 15 thousand people are buried in the cemetery, and the history of the White movement and all the waves of emigration from Russia can be traced through the graves.
Among others, the tombstone of Rudolf Nureyev stands out, as if covered with a carpet.
The graves of writers Ivan Bunin and Viktor Nekrasov, poetess Zinaida Gippius, film director Andrei Tarkovsky are visited more than others. Unfortunately, there is no burial map at the entrance, visitors have to look for the right place almost at random. Well, but they can see many other monuments.
We assure you, a visit to the cemeteries of Paris can open up from an unexpected side. Therefore, we recommend that you definitely take a walk along at least the most famous of them.
RUSSIAN CEMETERY
SAINT GENEVIEVE DE BOIS(France)
The Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois is public and is located a few kilometers south of Paris. In 1927, Princess Vera Kirillovna Meshcherskaya (1876-1949) reserved part of the cemetery for the burial of Russians who emigrated to France after the 1917 revolution.
Many soldiers and Cossacks of the White Army are buried in the cemetery, in particular, Colonel Nikolai Ivanovich Alabovsky (1883-1974), commander of the Markovsky regiment Abram Mikhailovich Dragomirov (1868-1955), General Pyotr Petrovich Kalinin (1853-1927), General Nikolai Nikolaevich Golovin (1875 -1944), General Alexander Pavlovich Kutepov (1882-1930), General Nikolai Alexandrovich Lokhvitsky (1867-1933), Cossack General Sergei Georgievich Ulagai (1875 (77) -1944) ...
There are also several monuments erected to the glory of the White Army: a monument to Russian veterans of Gallipoli, in memory of General Mikhail Gordeevich Drozdovsky, in honor of Alekseev's division, a monument to the Don Cossacks.
The cemetery is decorated in Russian traditions (Orthodox crosses, pines and large birches on the territory). Here, under 5,220 gravestones, about 15,000 Russians and Frenchmen of Russian origin are buried.
On the territory of the cemetery there is a Russian Orthodox Church Assumption of the Mother of God (Notre-Dame de la Dormision), which was consecrated on October 14, 1939 by Metropolitan Euloge, who currently rests in the church crypt.
Albert Benois - the building of the Church of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in Russian Cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois near Paris (he and his wife M.A. Benois also painted this temple)
The temple was built in the style of the Novgorod churches of the 15-16th century. Inside, to the right of the iconostasis, there is a memorial plaque in memory of 37 generals, 2,605 officers and 29,000 Cossacks who were British prisoners of war in the spring of 1945 and were tortured during the "massacre of Cossacks in Lienz", in Austria. The British decided to deliver their prisoners of war to Stalin and killed 300 recalcitrant prisoners, including women and children. Many Cossacks decided to commit suicide with their family and horse, others were given Soviet Union and almost all destroyed. The few surviving Cossacks were granted amnesty by Khrushchev in 1955.
After the visit of Vladimir Putin in 2000, Russian Federation together with France participates in the maintenance of the cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.
Official representative,
special correspondent
Orenburg military
Cossack society in France
Pascal Gerard
Paris, 29 May 2014
July 16, 1921
The Gallipoli obelisk was solemnly opened; it simultaneously resembled an ancient burial mound and Monomakh's cap topped with a cross. On a marble plaque under the double-headed Russian eagle was written: “God rest the souls of the departed. The 1st Corps of the Russian Army to their brothers-soldiers, in the struggle for the honor of the motherland, who found eternal rest in a foreign land in 1920-21 and in 1854-55, and the memory of their Cossack ancestors who died in Turkish captivity.
The Gallipoli Monument was destroyed by an earthquake on July 23, 1949. As a tribute to the memory of all participants in the White movement in Russia, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the opening, it was decided to install a small copy of it in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where by that time many participants in the movement had found their last shelter. And like once stones, now - the money for the construction of the monument was collected by Russian people, already scattered all over the world.
In this cemetery, 15 thousand Russians are buried in 5220 graves, which gives reason to call the entire cemetery “Russian”. Among the emigrants buried in the cemetery, there are many Russian military men, representatives of the clergy, writers, artists, actors... Looking at the tombstones with Russian names, I felt a lump roll up to my throat...
In the summer of 1993, only a large wooden cross was erected on the grave of Andrei Tarkovsky. Opposite this cross is a hill covered with a real kilim carpet - the grave of Rudolf Nureyev, who was buried six months ago. Later, in 1996, this woven carpet on his grave will be replaced by a chic mosaic carpet.
Buried in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery are:
Bulgakov Sergey Nikolaevich, Russian philosopher, theologian, economist, priest of the Orthodox Church,
Bunin Ivan Alekseevich, writer, first Russian winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature,
IVAN ALEKSEEVICH BUNIN was born on October 22 (October 22, 1870 - November 8, 1953), the first Russian writer - Nobel Prize winner, 1933. The writer was born in Voronezh. He spent his childhood in the Ozerki family estate. From 1881 to 1885, Ivan Bunin studied at the Yelets district gymnasium, and four years later he published his first poems. In 1889, Bunin worked as a proofreader for the Orlovsky Vestnik newspaper, where he met Varvara Pashchenko. Parents are not happy with their relationship - lovers Barbara and Ivan in 1892 are forced to leave for Poltava. In 1895, after a long correspondence, Bunin met Chekhov. The creations of this period are the collection "Poems", "Open Air", "Falling Leaves". In the 1890s, Bunin traveled on the steamer Chaika along the Dnieper and visited the grave of Taras Shevchenko, whose work he loved and subsequently translated a lot. A few years later, he will write an essay about this journey "On the Seagull", which will be published in the children's illustrated magazine "Vskhody" on November 1, 1898. In 1899, Bunin marries the daughter of a Greek revolutionary, Anna Tsakni, but the marriage did not work out. After a while they part, and since 1906 Bunin has been living in a civil marriage with Vera Muromtseva. Bunin was awarded the Pushkin Prize three times. In 1909, he was elected an academician in the category of belles-lettres, becoming the youngest academician Russian Academy. In February 1920, Bunin left Russia and emigrated to France. In exile, Bunin creates his best things: "Mitya's love", " Sunstroke”, “The Case of Cornet Elagin” and, finally, “The Life of Arseniev”. These works have become a new word in Bunin's work, and in Russian literature as a whole. In 1933, Bunin became the first Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize. Ivan Bunin died in his sleep on the night of November 8, 1953 in Paris. He was buried in the cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, France.
Galich Alexander Arkadievich playwright, poet, bard,
Alexander Arkadievich Galich (Ginzburg) (10/19/1918 - 12/15/1977), was born in Yekaterinoslavl (now Dnepropetrovsk), spent his childhood in Sevastopol, lived in Moscow before emigration.
Graduated from the theater studio. K.S.Stanislavsky (1938). Actor, poet, playwright. Author of about 20 plays and film scripts. Laureate of several domestic and international awards, laureate of the Stalin Prize, State. USSR Prize (1987). Since 1955, a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR, expelled from the joint venture and from the Literary Fund in 1971, restored in 1988. Since 1958, a member of the Union of Cinematographers (expelled in 1972, restored in 1988) Since 1972 - Orthodox.
In June 1974 he was forced to leave his homeland. He lived in Oslo for a year, where he recorded the CD "Cry in a Whisper". He joined the NTS (People's Labor Union), worked at the radio station "Freedom" from 1975 in Munich, at the end of 1976 in Paris he headed the culture section.
At the end of 1976 he removed the document. film "Refugees of the XX century". I wanted to write a book about NTS.
Performed in Israel, USA, Western Europe.
December 3, 1977 gave the last concert in Venice.
He died in Paris and was buried in the Russian Orthodox cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve des Bois near Paris.
In 1988, the decisions to expel Galich from the NC and the SP were canceled, and a commission on literary heritage was formed.
Gippius Zinaida Nikolaevna, poetess,
Zinaida Gippius - Russian poetess and writer of the Silver Age
November 20, 1869 - September 9, 1945
Zinaida Nikolaevna Gippius was born on November 20, 1869 in Belev, Tula region, into a German noble family of a lawyer. Due to her father's work, the family often changed their place of residence, and the girl studied at many schools.
From childhood, Zina was fond of poetry and painting, she loved horseback riding. In 1888, Gippius met her future husband Dmitry Merezhkovsky. In the same year, she began publishing her poems and novels in Severny Vestnik.
Gippius stood at the origins of Russian symbolism. Together with her husband, they founded the Religious-Philosophical Society in St. Petersburg.
Later, collections of Gippius stories on philosophical topics are published - "The Scarlet Sword", "Moon Ants". In 1911, the novel The Devil's Doll was written.
The poetess also writes essays, most often under the pseudonym Anton Krainy, although Lev Pushchin, Comrade Herman, Roman Arensky, Anton Kirsha, Nikita Vecher also use other names.
After the October Revolution of 1917, Gippius and her husband emigrated to Paris and, in the subsequent collection of poems, sharply condemned new system Russia. In exile, she continues to engage in creativity, as well as an active social activities.
Zinaida Gippius died in Paris on September 9, 1945. She was buried next to her husband in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery.
Glebova-Sudeikina Olga Afanasievna, actress,
Zaitsev Boris Konstantinovich, writer,
Boris Konstantinovich Zaitsev (January 29, 1881, Orel - January 28, 1972, Paris) - Russian writer and translator, one of the last major figures Silver Age.
Father Konstantin Nikolaevich Zaitsev - director of the Moscow paper factory Gujon, from the nobility of the Simbirsk province. He spent his childhood in the village of Usty, Zhizdrinsky district, Kaluga province (now Duminichsky district, Kaluga region). He received his primary education under the guidance of governesses. In Kaluga he studied at a classical gymnasium (1892-1894; he did not graduate; in 1902 he took an external examination in ancient languages at the 6th Moscow gymnasium). He graduated from the Kaluga real school (1894-1897, additional class - 1898). Studied at the chemical department of the Moscow technical school(1898-1899, expelled for participating in student riots), at the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg (1899-1901; did not graduate), at the Faculty of Law of Moscow University (1902-1906; did not graduate).
He began writing at the age of 17. In the autumn of 1900, in Yalta, he met A.P. Chekhov. At the beginning of 1901 he sent the manuscript of the story "An Uninteresting Story" to Chekhov and VG Korolenko. In the same year, he met L. N. Andreev, who helped him at the beginning of his literary activity, introduced him to the literary circle "Wednesday", led by N. Teleshov. In July 1901 he made his debut with the story "On the Road" in "The Courier". In 1902 or 1903 he met I. A. Bunin, with whom he maintained friendly relations for many years.
He lived in Moscow, often visiting St. Petersburg. Member of the Moscow Literary and Art Circle (1902), participated in the publication of the Zori magazine (1906), which lasted several months, since 1907 active member Society of lovers of Russian literature, also a member of the Society of Periodical Press and Literature.
In 1904 he visited Italy, lived there several times in 1907-1911. During the First World War, he lived in Pritykin with his wife and daughter Natalya. In December 1916 he entered Aleksandrovskoye military school, in March 1917 was promoted to officer. In the pamphlet "Conversation about the War" (Moscow, 1917) he wrote about the aggressiveness of Germany, carried out the idea of war to a victorious end. In August 1917, he fell ill with pneumonia and went on vacation to Pritykino, where he lived until 1921, periodically visiting Moscow. In 1922 he was elected chairman of the Moscow branch of the All-Russian Union of Writers. Worked in the cooperative shop of writers.
After the revolution he tragically perceived and the subsequent civil war, when the writer's nephew and stepson were killed, he was arrested for active participation in Pomgol (an organization to help the starving), then he almost died of typhus, Zaitsev and his wife left Russia forever.
In June 1922, Zaitsev and his family moved to Berlin. He actively worked in the journals Sovremennye Zapiski and Zveno. In September 1923, Zaitsev and his family moved to Italy, in December they left for Paris, where he would later live for about half a century. In October 1925 he became the editor of the Riga magazine Chimes, in 1927 he published his works in the Parisian newspaper Vozrozhdeniye.
The spring of 1927 was marked by a trip to Mount Athos, which resulted in the appearance of travel essays under the same name "Athos".
From 1925 to 1929 in the newspaper "Vozrozhdeniye" and "Dni" the first part of the diary entries "Wanderer" was published. These records are dedicated to life in France.
In addition, Zaitsev was engaged in the selection of materials for the literary biography of I. S. Turgenev, A. P. Chekhov, V. A. Zhukovsky, which were subsequently published.
Zaitsev traveled a lot in France, these travels are reflected in essays on such French cities as Grasse, Nice, Avignon.
In the early years of World War II, Zaitsev again turned to the publication of diary entries. A series of new diary entries "Days" was published in the newspaper "Vozrozhdenie". After France was occupied by Germany in 1940, there were no publications by Zaitsev in Russian publications. During these years, Zaitsev in every possible way refused to draw his own conclusions about political turmoil. But he continues to work, so in 1945 the story "King David" is published.
In 1947, Zaitsev worked in the Parisian newspaper Russkaya Mysl, in the same year he was elected chairman of the Union of Russian Writers in France. This position remains until the end of life.
In 1959, he began to collaborate with the almanac "Bridges" in Munich, and corresponded with B. L. Pasternak.
1957 - a difficult year in personal life Zaitsev, the writer's wife suffers a stroke, Zaitsev spends all his days near his wife's bed, continuing to work on the genre of everyday diary entries.
The years of emigration were fruitful years of Zaitsev's work, more than 30 books in Russian were published, about 800 texts in periodicals.
Abroad, he collaborated in emigre publications (Modern Notes, Renaissance, Russian Thought, Novy Zhurnal, and others). For many years he was chairman of the Union of Russian Writers and Journalists. One of the founders and member of the Icon Society in Paris (1927). In the 1950s was a member of the Commission for the Russian translation of the New Testament in Paris. In 1962 he was nominated by R.V. Pletnev for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Books:
Far edge, 1915
Wayfarers, Paris, Russian Land, 1921
Street of St. Nicholas, Berlin, "Word", 1923
Reverend Sergius Radonezh, Paris, 1925
Golden pattern, Praha, 1926
Athos. Travel essay, Paris, 1928
Anna, Paris, 1929
Life of Turgenev. Biography, Paris, 1932
House in Passy, Berlin, 1935
Gleb's journey. Tetralogy:
1. Dawn, Berlin, 1937
2. Silence, Paris, 1948
3. Youth, Paris, 1950
4. Tree of Life, New York, 1953
Moscow, Paris, 1939, Munich, 1960, 1973
Zhukovsky. Biography, Paris, 1951
Chekhov. Biography, New York, 1954
Quiet Dawns, München, 1973
Far. Articles, Washington, 1965
River of Time, New York, 1968
My contemporaries. Essay, London, 1988
Life of Sergius of Radonezh
He was buried in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery.
Ivanov Georgy Vladimirovich, Russian poet, prose writer, translator,
Izvolsky Petr Petrovich, Russian public and statesman, chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod,
Kokovtsov, Vladimir Nikolaevich Count, Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire,
Kolchak Sofia Fedorovna, widow of A. V. Kolchak, Admiral of the Russian Navy, Supreme Ruler of Russia, leader of the White movement,
Korovin Konstantin Alekseevich, artist,
Kutepov, Alexander Pavlovich, general, one of the leaders of the White
movement,
“On the biography of Kutepov, our children and grandchildren will learn how to serve the Fatherland. Whoever Kutepov is - whether a junior officer in peacetime and in war, whether a regiment commander during a period of revolution and anarchy, whether a corps commander or an army commander in civil war, - he always and everywhere was a model of an officer, chief and faithful servant of Russia "
General E. K. Miller
Kshesinskaya Matilda Feliksovna, ballerina,
Lifar Serge, choreographer,
Lvov Georgy Evgenievich, prince, head and minister of the Provisional Government,
Merezhkovsky Dmitry Sergeevich, poet,
Mozzhukhin Ivan Ilyich movie actor,
Nekrasov Viktor Platonovich, writer,
Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich, ballet dancer,
Obolenskaya Vera Apollonovna, princess, member of the resistance movement in France, beheaded in the Plotzensee prison in Berlin,
Preobrazhenskaya Olga Iosifovna, ballerina,
Prokudin-Gorsky Sergei Mikhailovich, photographer, chemist, inventor,
Remizov Alexey Mikhailovich, writer,
Romanov Gavriil Konstantinovich, prince of imperial blood, great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I,
Romanova Irina Alexandrovna, Grand Duchess,
Serebryakova Zinaida Evgenievna, Russian artist,
Somov Konstantin Andreevich, artist,
Stolypina Olga Borisovna, wife of P. A. Stolypin, prime minister of Russia, killed in 1911,
Tarkovsky Andrey Arsenievich, film director,
“Does death scare me? he thought in documentary Donatella Balivo, dedicated to his work. “In my opinion, death does not exist at all. There is some act, painful, in the form of suffering. When I think about death, I think about physical suffering, not about death itself. Death, in my opinion, simply does not exist. I don't know... Once I dreamed that I was dead, and it looked like the truth. I felt such a liberation, such an incredible lightness that, perhaps, it was the feeling of lightness and freedom that gave me the feeling that I had died, that is, freed from all ties with this world. Anyway, I don't believe in death. There is only suffering and pain, and often people confuse it with death and suffering. Don't know. Maybe when I face it directly, I will become scared, and I will think differently ... It's hard to say.
Today is the Day of Remembrance of the director who became a legend - Andrei TARKOVSKY!
“Art exists only because the world is badly arranged,” he said…. No, it was not conceived, it was not created badly, but it was arranged right now, when we ourselves took up its construction .... And the task of art, he believed, was a return to the origins, to true harmony ... With his films - which were REFLECTIONS ON THE HIGH - he tried to comprehend this harmony ... Each of his films became a masterpiece, an example of real, pure philosophy - the desire for Wisdom ...
He died in Paris on December 29, 1986. The director's funeral took place at the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois Russian Cemetery in the outskirts of Paris.
Hundreds of people came to the courtyard of St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where Andrei Tarkovsky was buried. On the church steps, Mstislav Rostropovich played the loftily austere Bach's Sarabande on the cello. On his tombstone, made by Ernst Neizvestny, an inscription was made - "TO THE MAN WHO SAW AN ANGEL".
LOVELY MEMORY TO THE GREAT DIRECTOR!
Taffy (Nadezhda Lokhvitskaya), writer,
Sheremetev Alexander Dmitrievich, Russian philanthropist and musician, grandson of Nikolai Sheremetev and singer Praskovya Zhemchugova,
Felix Feliksovich Yusupov, prince, organizer of the murder of Rasputin. He was buried with his wife Yusupova Irina Alexandrovna, Russian Grand Duchess, great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I and niece of Nicholas II,
and many, many others...
Tombstone of Alexander Galich
The grave of Andrei Tarkovsky and his wife Larisa
Tombstone on the grave of Dmitry Merezhkovsky and Zinaida Gippius
Tombstone on the grave of Rudolf Nureyev. At first glance, it looks like a real carpet, but in fact it is made of mosaic... Rudolf collected carpets. And the design of the carpet on the grave repeats the design of one of his favorite carpets.
Tombstones for General Drozdovsky and his Drozdovites
Tombstones on the graves of the Cossacks.
The Russian government has allocated almost 610,000 euros to pay off the debt for renting plots in the Russian cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, France. The corresponding order was published on October 1 at official portal legal information, according to ITAR-TASS. We are talking about the transfer of a voluntary contribution from Russia to the state treasury of the French Republic to the account of the municipality (mayor's office) of the city of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois (Department of Essons) in the amount of the specified amount.
These funds will be used to pay off the debt for the lease of 480 plots at cemetery "A" (Russian sector) in order to renew expired lease concessions in favor of the relatives of those who are buried there.
The Ministry of Finance was instructed to allocate the necessary funds from the budget for the current year, and the Russian Foreign Ministry was instructed to issue Required documents and make money transfers.
The cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois is called the most Russian place in "big" Paris. In the 1920s, in this suburb of the French capital, at the expense of Princess Vera Meshcherskaya, a Russian home was opened for elderly Russian nobles who fled the revolution and were deprived of their livelihood. At the same time, the first graves with Orthodox crosses appeared at the local cemetery, and a little later a small church was built. Over time, Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois became the focus of Russian emigration.
Among the emigrants buried in the cemetery are many prominent military men, clerics, writers, artists, artists. In particular, the writer Ivan Bunin, the photographer Sergei Proskudin-Gorsky, the Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, Prince Georgy Lvov, the widow and son of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, and many other members of the White movement are buried here. Already in a later era, bard Alexander Galich, director Andrei Tarkovsky were buried in the Russian cemetery.
In 2008, the Russian government already allocated more than 600,000 euros to pay off the debt to France for the lease of plots in order to prevent the demolition of the cemetery. And this is very encouraging: the manner of destroying cemeteries and pre-revolutionary memorials inherent in the Soviet era is gradually being replaced by a traditional approach to honoring the graves of our ancestors. After all, it was not for nothing that the great Pushkin wrote:
Two feelings are wonderfully close to us,
In them the heart finds food:
Love for the native ashes,
Love for father's coffins.
Russian line
Russian corner of the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery this autumn:
On the first full day of my stay in Paris, I went not just anywhere, but straight to the cemetery. No, I was fine. The fact is that the Pere Lachaise cemetery is one of the most stunning sights of the French capital. In addition, this is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world, on the territory of which hundreds of historical figures: politicians, military, scientists, writers, singers, artists and many, many others.
A large number of people are also buried here, who somehow left their mark on the history of Russia, for example: Nestor Makhno and Isadora Duncan. However, I did not set myself the task of finding the graves and crypts of all the great people of the past who found their last refuge here. For such purposes, for sure, there are special excursions. I came here to wander along the narrow paths between the mournful Gothic buildings and feel the atmosphere of the place.
This is the real city in the city. Each of them is beautiful in its own way, but only one is for the living, and the other is for the dead.
The Pere Lachaise cemetery occupies a huge area for Paris - as much as 48 hectares. True, it is not located in the center, but in the 20th district, which is considered “unfavorable”. Why in quotes? Yes, because for the whole time of my walk I did not see a single sign of this very dysfunction. Apparently, this is another tourist horror story, designed for intimidated aunts.
The cemetery itself, despite its apparent antiquity, was founded only at the very beginning of the 19th century. Until the second half of the so-called "Late Middle Ages", this place was home to the lowest strata of the population. Crime reigned here, epidemics began. Everything changed when a rich merchant built a huge mansion on the site of the huts. Subsequently, both the mansion and the surrounding area went into the possession of the Jesuit order. However, after some time, the monks had financial difficulties, the lands were confiscated and sold at auction. The new owner razed to the ground all the buildings that existed hitherto and set up an English garden on this site.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the city authorities decided to buy the park and establish a cemetery in its place. Since at that time it was not a very attractive outskirts, the vast majority of the townspeople had no desire to be here after death. In order to spur the interest of the inhabitants of Paris in the new cemetery, the burial places of Molière, La Fontaine and Pierre Abelard were transferred to its territory. This had a result: the Père Lachaise cemetery began to attract more and more people who wanted to pay their last respects to their loved ones, and gradually turned into what we have to this day - one of the main attractions of the French capital.
At the moment, more than 1 million people are buried here.
The Pere Lachaise cemetery is separated from the outside world by huge walls several meters high and no less majestic gates. 
It is very beautiful in here! 
Many times I came across the fact that people react absolutely inadequately to the fact that someone can walk around the cemetery with pleasure. Yes, the vast majority of post-Soviet burials absolutely do not encourage people to have a desire to walk on their territory. With Pere Lachaise, a completely different story: an architecture lover will find here a large number of stunning crypts, a history lover - many famous names, a silence lover - peace and solitude, a nature lover - a large park among residential areas. After all, I have never met people who condemn trips to the Egyptian pyramids - and, after all, these are also cemeteries. 
What really surprised me was the close proximity of ordinary panel high-rise buildings, closely adjacent to the territory of the cemetery. I really wouldn't want to live there. 
Monument to the Dead. 
Unfortunately, not all burials are in satisfactory condition. I did not look into the hole under the gravestone. 
Some crypts may well compare with chapels or even small village churches. 
The real densely populated city. 
Unfortunately, the quality of the following photos will be relatively poor quality. This was the price for my desire to completely immerse myself in the atmosphere of the old cemetery: I went there at the end of the day, just before sunset. For what is the point of visiting such places during the day in bright sunlight? In general, by the end of the walk, even I myself could hardly distinguish anything on both sides of the road, not to mention the camera. But I don’t regret it at all and I advise you to come to Père Lachaise exclusively at the end of the day. The main thing to remember is that the cemetery is not open around the clock. 
Suddenly, against the backdrop of low Gothic crypts, something truly huge has grown. At first I thought it was a crematorium (I was just looking for it at that moment), but the signs pointed to something else ... 
It turned out that this is also a crypt in which the French diplomat Felix de Beaujour is buried. Apparently, Felix was an exceptional person, since such an outstanding tomb was built for him. 
Someone with a simpler rank went on his last journey with his beloved dog. 
By the way, did I already say that Père Lachaise is a whole city? Here, each path is a separate street with its own name and incredibly beautiful signs. 
Finally, I found the crematorium. Directly in front of him was a descent into underground rooms, from where an incomprehensible noise was heard and lights were on. The doors were open. As soon as I began to descend towards the inviting light, a black cemetery caretaker emerged from the darkness behind me and in a harsh manner declared that I was not allowed to go there. So for me it remained a mystery what happened in these underground rooms.
Near the crematorium spread very bad smell. They must have burned the bodies. 
Galleries diverge around the crematorium in a large quadrangle. This is a columbarium - walls with small compartments in which the ashes of the dead are buried. 
Fleeing from the becoming unbearable smell, I hurried to the exit. There was already pitch darkness around - there are no hints of lanterns in the cemetery. And only by a miracle I was able to see a new copy in my collection of manhole covers. 
To sum up: the Père Lachaise cemetery is one of the most unusual and interesting sights in Paris. I recommend visiting it to anyone who stays at least for one day in the capital of France - all other attractions can wait.
How to get there:
There are two metro stations in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance: Père Lachaise (lines 2 and 3) and Philippe Auguste (line 2).
For Parisians, it is like la cite des morts - the city of the dead, and for tourists from all over the world it is better known as Pere Lachaise. It is, in fact, the whole city. On properly planned streets, alleys - palaces (tombs with complex sculptural compositions), cottages (family crypts with modest or majestic tombstones) and apartment buildings- columbarium. Forged iron signs show the numbers of plots and more than 6,000 trees. The necropolis became known throughout the world as an open-air museum of tombstone sculpture.
cemetery park
The famous graves of Pere Lachaise
The necropolis covers an area of 48 hectares. The history of its creation goes back to 1804. It was then that the cemetery was founded and named after Francois de la Chaise, confessor of King Louis XIV. At the time of opening, it was far outside the city limits. At first, the Parisians did not want to bury their relatives there. Therefore, for greater popularity, the remains of the great Molière and La Fontaine were transferred to the new cemetery, and in 1817 the remains of Pierre Abelard and Eloise (practically French Romeo and Juliet) were reburied, whose romantic love shocked many to the core.
And then the Parisians already wanted to be buried surrounded by famous people. According to records, the number of people buried in this cemetery increased from a few dozen to 30 thousand people over the course of several years. Today, there are more than a million burials, not counting the columbarium. Only Parisians or those who died in Paris are entitled to be buried in the cemetery.
The cemetery gave eternal shelter to many famous writers, artists, actors, politicians. People come to their graves to honor the memory of the dead. These are the graves of Honore de Balzac (plot No. 48), Modigliani (plot No. 96), Edith Piaf (plot No. 97), Sarah Bernard (plot No. 44). But it's just a drop in the sea of all famous people who have found their eternal rest here.
One of the frequently visited graves is the grave of F. Chopin, the composer who wrote the "Funeral March", to the sounds of which most people in this cemetery were buried, and the author himself.
Balzac described this cemetery in the last part of his novel Father Goriot. The last refuge of the writer is also here.
The burials associated with the death of a large number of people are impressive. This is the Memorial to the Victims of Nazi Concentration Camps (No. 97), a monument to the Russian participants in the resistance movement in France.
Among the famous places of Père Lachaise is the Wall of the Communards (section No. 76), at which 147 members of the Paris Commune were executed in the spring of 1871. Ironically, Adolphe Thiers, the man who ordered the execution of the defenders of the Paris Commune, is also buried in this place (account No. 55).
Legends of Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Some graves attract attention thanks to mysteries and legends, beckoning many visitors with stories about miraculous cases healing. There is a certain ritual that must be followed in order to achieve the desired result.
There are always many visitors near the tombstone of the French journalist Victor Noir, who was shot dead by the emperor's nephew during an argument. Men come to ask for male power for themselves, women come to know the happiness of motherhood. Rumor has it that when the body of the murdered was brought to the morgue, an extraordinary thing happened: he came to life reproductive organ. This event caused extraordinary popularity.
To the grave of Oscar Wilde come those who dream of eternal love. They say that if you whisper a wish and kiss the sphinx carved on the writer's tombstone, the wish will come true. The spirit of the ironic Wilde arranges the affairs of the heart only for the most diligent. Therefore, they kiss the tombstone, write declarations of love with lipstick, as shown in the film "Paris, I love you." In addition, the grave is popular with people of non-traditional sexual orientation. Rumor has it that they come to their idol at night. Although the cemetery is closed at this time of day, a high wall surrounds the necropolis.
"Conquer the demon within you" is the epitaph on the tombstone of cult singer Jim Morrison. His fans stand out among the tourists: they talk loudly, smoke marijuana, scatter cigarette butts. Because of this, they even wanted to transfer the ashes of the singer to another place, but his grave is in fifth place in terms of attendance.
It is said that the Père Lachaise cemetery has magical power. Witches, black magicians and other representatives of the "profession" have repeatedly arranged their Sabbaths here. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to notice gloomy notes in walks along Père Lachaise.
In the columbarium, among many others, they found the last refuge of Nestor Makhno, who died in poverty, and Isadora Duncan, who died from an absurd accident.
Cemetery Pere Lachaise - useful information
Cemetery address: 16 Rue du Repos, 75020, Paris Pere Lachaise Gambetta
Website www.pere-lachaise.com
The Pere Lashaise metro station is located at a distance of 500 m from the side entrance, the Philippe Auguste station is right next to the main entrance, and the Gambetta station is not far from the tomb of Oscar Wilde, from where you can already walk through the vast territory of the necropolis.
Entrance to the cemetery is free, opening hours are daily from 8.00 to 18.00.
Père Lachaise Cemetery Map
1 - Sarah Bernard (1844 - 1923): actress. Division 91
2 - Guillaume Apollinaire (1880 - 1918): poet. Division 86
3 - Honore de Balzac (1799 - 1850): writer. Division 48
4 - Beaumarchais (1732 - 1799): writer. Division 28
5 - Fulgens Bienveüe (1852 - 1936): father of the metro of Paris. Division 82
6 - Maria Callas (1923 - 1977): opera singer. In the columbarium
7 - Frederic Chopin (1810 - 1849): pianist and composer. Division 11
8 - Auguste Comte (1798 - 1857): philosopher. Division 17
9 - Georges Courteline (1858 - 1929): writer. Division 89
10 - Eugene Delacroix (1798 - 1863): painter. Division 49
11 - Pierre DESPROGES (1939 - 1988): humorist. Division 10
12 - Paul Eluard (1895 - 1952): poet. Section 97
13 - Theodore Géricault (1791 - 1824): painter. Division 12
14 - Baron Haussmann (1809 - 1891): Prefect of Paris. Department 4
15 - Dominique Ingres (1780 - 1867): painter. Division 23
16 - Jean de La Fontaine (1621 - 1695): prose writer, poet. Division 25
17 - Moliere (1622 - 1673): Writer, actor. Division 25
18 - Amedeo Modigliani (1884 - 1920): painter. Division 96
19 - Yves Montand (1921 - 1991): singer, actor / Simone Signoret (1921 - 1985): actress. Division 44
20 - Jim Morrison (1943 - 1971): singer. Department 6
21 - Alfred de Musset (1810 - 1857): writer. Department 4
22 - Antoine PARMENTIER (1737 - 1813): agronomist. Division 39
23 - Edith Piaf (1915 - 1963): singer. Division 97
24 - Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903): painter. Division 7
25 - Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922): writer. Division 85
26 - Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946): art critic, writer. Division 94
27 - Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900): writer. Division 89
In the application you can download more detailed map Pere Lachaise cemetery in French.
The Père Lachaise cemetery is one of the main attractions of Paris. Located in the eastern part of the city, it is better known to its inhabitants as the "Eastern Cemetery" (Cimetière de l'Est) or "City of the Dead" (la cite des morts). Pere Lachaise covers an area of about 48 hectares. This is a real well-planned city with green alleys of branchy old trees.
Many come to this quiet and secluded place to take a walk, think about the eternal and forget about time. It is also worth mentioning that this cemetery is considered one of the largest museums of tomb sculpture. To date, about a million people are buried here, including a large number of celebrities: La Fontaine and Moliere, Pierre Abelard and his student Eloise, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and many others.
History of the cemetery
Initially, the area of the cemetery was the area of the poor and criminals. Later, the house of the confessor of Ludwig XIV, Francois de la Chaise, was located here, after whom the necropolis is now named. And only in 1804 a cemetery appeared here. Designed by Nicolas Froschot. At his request, Moliere and La Fontaine, Pierre Abelard and Eloise were reburied here, thanks to which the cemetery began to gain popularity, because initially people refused to bury their relatives here.
The most visited and famous monuments of Pere Lachaise
The famous and beloved by many English writer O. Wilde died on November 30, 1900 and was originally buried in the Bagno cemetery. Then, about 10 years later, his remains were reburied at the Père Lachaise cemetery.
His grave is adorned with a sculpture of a winged sphinx by Jacob Epstein. This sculpture is covered with a legend that by kissing it, you will find eternal love. For this reason, the sphinx on the writer's tombstone was covered with glass, but this does not stop incorrigible romantics from leaving lipstick marks here.
“Conquer the demon within you,” reads the tombstone of the legendary musician, The Doors vocalist and poet. The singer's grave is in fifth place in terms of attendance, thanks to the frequent visits of loyal fans.
This is one of the noisiest and most crowded places in the cemetery. Quotes from Morrison's songs are written on nearby tombstones, which is why they even wanted to rebury the ashes of the singer, but did not do this, because. the grave remains one of the most visited and the rent is regularly paid for it.
This grave is strewn with flowers in memory of the great composer who composed the legendary "Funeral March", under the minor sounds of which most people say goodbye and send their loved ones to another world.
Poles often come here, leaving flowers on the flag of their state. In accordance with the last will of the composer, his heart is kept in Warsaw in one of the churches.
The famous French journalist was killed in a duel with the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte the day before his wedding. During his lifetime, he was adored by women, so his tombstone adorns a monument with an erect male organ.
Women believe that by rubbing the reproductive organ, you will definitely know the happiness of motherhood, and men come here to return the "male power".
Wall of the Communards
The Wall of the Communards is a monument to the defenders of the Paris Commune, who were shot at one of the walls of the cemetery. 147 people gave their lives here. To perpetuate this event in the memory of the people, a bas-relief was built near the cemetery by the sculptor A. Bartolome. Today, this memorial serves as a symbol of courage, will and the proletarian movement.
Monument to Russian soldiers
To the 60th anniversary of the celebration Great Victory, in honor of the participants in the French Resistance, a Monument to Russian soldiers was erected at the Pere Lachaise cemetery. This monument was created by Russian sculptor Vladimir Suvorovtsev.
The monument was erected in honor of those who went to another world. The monument was unveiled in 1899.
He determined the path of his creator, Albert Bartolome, as a sculptor. The monument also serves as an ossuary, where bones from abandoned graves are kept.
Finally…
The atmosphere of this place is difficult to put into words. The variety of monuments, tombstones, family crypts and sculptures is simply amazing. Even more mystery to this place covered with legends is given by trees, of which there are about six thousand, and moss covering the tombstones. This place is one of the most visited attractions in Paris, which does not leave tourists indifferent. But it's worth considering a guided tour, as it's very easy to get lost here, not to mention the fact that a professional tour guide will be able to tell you even more. interesting facts and secrets of this amazing place.
How to get there
Address: 16 Rue du Repos, Paris 75020Telephone: +33 1 55 25 82 10
Website: pere-lachaise.com
Metro: Pere Lachaise
Updated: 08/18/2015
