ABSTRACT
In the earlier Soviet era, cemeteries existed in a contradictory context. On the one hand, it was claimed that the idea of the cemetery was to be eliminated and equality in burials was to be established. On the other hand, the desire for posthumous hierarchisation was rapidly overcoming the official ideology of an equal burial. It was on the edge of this contradiction that Novodevichy Cemetery emerged as one of the first elite cemeteries in Russia. This chapter is dedicated to the study of one of the Moscow necropolises, where many famous people are buried – Novodevichy Cemetery. This chapter examines what cultural background was behind its creation and what metamorphoses it has undergone over its history. The aim of this chapter is to provide a brief outline of a possible approach to the study of celebrity cemeteries from within the cultural context in which they emerged. I argue that Novodevichy is not just a museum cemetery but a powerful cultural artefact within the Russian memorial context that echoes to the framework of the commemoration of heroes shaped in the USSR.
