Plot in the Cemetery – General information

Cemetery Plots

There are more than a hundred cemeteries in Moscow, but they have long been closed for burial, as they are crowded. Because of this, finding a plot in a cemetery within the city is a difficult and troublesome matter. There are three ways to get a plot in a Moscow cemetery: a family burial into an existing grave (in this case, it can be done even in a closed cemetery) or through an official city bidding. But not everyone has family graves, and the prices of plots in the Moscow cemeteries are too tight to everyone to bid.

For many Moscow residents, the only option is to bury their loved one who has deceased is in the open Perepechinskoye cemetery, the only one in the capital available for free burials.

It is important to remember that “buying” a plot in a city cemetery legally means only getting the right to use it solely for burial purposes. Tending to the grave at the plot is a must.

The plot itself is free

The questions like “How much does a plot in the cemetery costs?” or “What is the price of plots in the cemetery?” do not concern Perepechinskoye cemetery because there the plots are free, i.e. are provided by the Moscow authorities free of charge. In accordance with the Federal Burial Act, every citizen of the Russian Federation has the right for a burial plot. In Moscow, such plots are allocated at Perepechinskoye cemetery.

Note: whether you have a family grave and an additional family burial does not matter, the city must provide the of the deceased person's family a plot in the open Moscow Perepechinskoye cemetery free of charge upon application.

Plots in the Moscow cemeteries are also provided free of charge to citizens awarded for special services by the state or the City of Moscow.

The price of cemetery plots, or how much does a plot in the cemetery costs

Questions like “How much does a plot in the cemetery cost?” is relevant for several dozen closed cemeteries of the capital located within the city. Any Russian citizen (regardless of whether they have a residence permit) can buy a plot for family burial in advance via a tender held by the Moscow Government or in case of emergency, buy a family plot immediately in one day via the Moscow Department of Trade and Services.

Example: In January 2019, the minimum price for an ancestral burial site for a hearse was about 39,328 rubles (Ostafyevo cemetery), and the cost of a plot the cinerary urn was 26,016 rubles (Ankudinovskoe cemetery).

In total, there are 50 cemeteries in Moscow (as of January 2019) where anyone (including ones without a Moscow residence permit) can officially acquire a plot for family burial (as of January 2019) at an open auction held by the Moscow City Government or urgently in 1 day directly from the Moscow City Government having produced a death certificate.

Plots in the cemetery for veterans and heroes of Russia

Some social categories have the right to special procedures getting a burial plot in the metropolitan cemeteries including closed ones. According to the federal law, the metropolitan government provides plots in the cemeteries for combat veterans, heroes of Russia and the USSR, and laureates of state awards. Plots are available to the following social categories:

  • Veterans of the Second World War;
  • Home front workers of the Second World War (the right for burial at Khimkinskoye or Perepechinskoye cemetery).
  • Heroes of Russia and the Soviet Union, heroes of Socialist Labor;
  • Holders of honorary awards and state awards of the Russian Federation and the USSR;
  • Holders of the Orders of Glory or Labor Glory;
  • Holders of honors and awards received from the city government;
  • Combat veterans (the right to a plot at Kotlyakovskoye or Troekurovskoye cemeteries);
  • First and second degree relatives, spouses.

Burials are available for both a hearse a cinerary urn in the burial site with an area of 0.8x1.0 m. The confirmation and allocation of benefits is done in the “one-stop service” of the Moscow Department of Trade and Services (Tverskaya street 19/2; 8-495-777-77-77, official website).

How to get a plot in the cemetery

You can will learn how to get a plot in the cemetery at Ritual.ru funeral service: call the 24x7 information hotline +7 (495) 100-3-100. Ritual.ru specialist will help you get a suitable option for a plot in the cemetery. Currently, the plots are provided free of charge at Perepechinskoye cemetery.

Remember the following! You can a plot in the cemetery not only through an auction. Think first about the social option, which does not incur any expenses. If you are offered to “buy a plot in the cemetery”, it is fraud. Any sale of land in the cemeteries of the capital other than by an official bidding is illegal.

Where to buy a plot in the cemetery? Whom to contact?

You can get a detailed answer to the question “Where to buy a plot in the cemetery?” at Ritual.ru city ritual service. Call +7 (495) 100-3-100.

We will tell you about the available options for obtaining a plot in the cemetery – paid ones via a bidding or with social services where you can get a plot for free.

If you decide to buy a plot in the cemetery for a family burial, Ritual.ru will advise you for free on how to get a right to the plot using the EAC Ritual unified information system, as well as help prevent unfortunate mistakes.

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