ABSTRACT
There are presently 27 crematoria in Russia in 23 cities. Three of them are private, and nine of them are under a public-private partnership. The rest of the crematoria are run by the state. For the most part, cremation services are not popular: on average, relatives choose to cremate in no more than 15–20 percent of cases. The cost of cremation in Moscow ranges from 14,000 ₽ to 40,000 ₽, depending on the lease of the farewell hall. The priest is usually not invited to serve in the crematorium, but there is such an opportunity. Farewell is conducted by a special employee of the crematorium. It is possible to order music. In the larger Moscow crematoria, this is an orchestra: the choice of music consists of 10–12 famous lyric pieces of music. The usual ways of disposing of ashes are keeping the urn at home, storing the urn in a columbarium, or burying it in the ground.
