This object of the urban infrastructure of the northern capital does not belong to the category of widely known. Not even all the native Petersburgers can tell the visitor how to find in the shortest way what is indicated on the detailed maps of the city as “Kineevo cemetery in St. Petersburg”. Nevertheless, there is a necropolis with such a name in the city on the Neva, and it deserves no less attention than all the others.
From the history of St. Petersburg
Kinoveevskoe cemetery got its name by the name of the monastery, which was once located in the area of Malaya Okhta. The toponym itself is of Greek origin and means something like "common life." Such was the order in the monastery on Okhta, all its inhabitants, upon entering the holy monastery, transferred all their property to it and lived in a single community. The monastery, otherwise referred to as "Kinoveya", was a suburban branch of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. There has been no monastery for a long time, but the Kinoveevskoe cemetery, once former with it, exists to this day. The prospectus, which passed near the cemetery, had the same name. In the mid-twentieth century, it was renamed and included in another highway.
It can be assumed that at the time when St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire, it was quite easy to answer the question: "Kineevo cemetery ... How to get to it?" Of course, they should look for a churchyard on Kinoveevsky Avenue. The arbitrary change by the authorities of historical toponyms often leads to difficulties in orienting themselves among city streets.
From the history of the churchyard
The founding date of the necropolis is considered to be 1848, when local monks were buried next to the church of All Saints that existed on the territory of Kinovei. For almost the entire nineteenth century, the Kinoveevsky cemetery was considered a suburban, and relatively few burials were made on it. The social composition of those who happened to be buried in it is remarkable. For the most part, these are poor people and not famous for anything. Mainly - peasants from the Okhta shores. Among the prestigious and aristocratic, this necropolis could not be attributed.
In the summer of 1862, the five-domed Trinity Cathedral was laid at the cemetery. Subsequently, burials of persons of spiritual and merchant ranks began to be carried out near him. At the beginning of the Soviet historical era, Kinovei ceased to exist, giving the name to the churchyard. In 1942, mass graves appeared in the cemetery , in which soldiers were buried who died in hospitals during the defense of Leningrad, and ordinary residents of the besieged city who died of starvation, from shelling and bombing.
Kineevo cemetery today
The modern territory of the necropolis founded in the middle of the century before last is not more than sixteen hectares. Kinoveevskoe cemetery is located between two busy city highways - Far Eastern Avenue and Oktyabrskaya Embankment. It borders directly on the streets of Mginsky, Samoilova and the embankment of the Volkovka River. The architectural background of the historic churchyard is a modern industrial building. Of the buildings of the nineteenth century, only a few buildings have survived, they are located on the promenade.
In the administrative sense, the Kineevo cemetery is a structural unit of the St. Petersburg State Treasury Institution "Specialized Service of St. Petersburg for Funeral Issues". The cemetery is still operational. But here are mainly produced related relatives and burials of urns with ashes in the grave or wall of Columbar. The reserve of free space in the cemetery is almost exhausted, and there are no prospects for its expansion.
Reconstruction of the cemetery
Work on the reconstruction of the economic infrastructure, redevelopment and expansion of the cemetery was carried out several times over its history. In 1946, a memorial was erected on the site of the mass graves of wartime. It is made in the form of a black obelisk column. In 1964, on the territory of the fifth section of the Kinoveevsky cemetery, the so-called "Communist site" was formed, where the burial places of the old Bolsheviks and party functionaries of the Soviet era are located.
The most large-scale reconstruction of the necropolis was carried out in the late eighties of the twentieth century. Modern administrative and household buildings appeared on the territory, hard coatings were applied on all central avenues, landscaping was carried out and lighting structures were installed. A memorial to the anti-aircraft crew was erected near the central alley, which died in 1943 during the reflection of German air raids on the Finland Railway Bridge. After completion of the reconstruction, the Kinoveevskoe cemetery acquired the appearance that corresponds to the architectural standards required for such objects of urban infrastructure. The appearance of the necropolis is mainly determined by the burial sites of the mid-twentieth century.
Mode of operation
Kinoveevskoe cemetery, whose address is indicated in the directory as 16 Oktyabrskaya embankment, building 3, is open for visitors. You can visit it from 9 to 17 hours from October to April, and from 9 to 18 hours from May to September (seven days a week). Access to the territory of visitors is closed only on New Year's Day on January 1st. The telephone number of the administration is (812) 587 94 14. Mailing address: 16, October Embankment, Russian Federation, St. Petersburg-193091 , building 3.
Kinoveevskoe cemetery: how to get there
As a rule, it is not very difficult to get to any object located within the city limits and in the scope of public transport. The problem in this case is that getting to the Kinoveevsky cemetery without transfers is quite difficult. In this area there are as many as three metro stations - Elizarovskaya, Novocherkasskaya and Prospect Bolshevikov. But all of them are located at a considerable distance from the cemetery. Therefore, when leaving the subway, it is best to use the services of a minibus.