Pokrov Cemetery

Pokrov Cemetery Pokrova kapi
General view, in the background a cemetery church of the Protection of the Holy Mother
Details
Established	1773
Location	Riga
Country	Latvia
Coordinates	56°58′05″N24°08′24″E
Type	public
Owned by	Shelter of Our Most Holy Lady Church
Size	70,669 square metres (760,670 sq ft)
Website	http://www.pokrovskoe.lv/
Find a Grave	Pokrov Cemetery Pokrova kapi

Pokrov Cemetery(Latvian:Pokrova kapi) is a 70,669 square metres (760,670 sq ft) wide cemetery inRigabuilt in 1773. The current owner of the cemetery isShelter of Our Most Holy Lady Churchwho are renting the land.

TwoRed Armyburial sites are located in the cemetery – a smaller one for the summer of 1941 and a bigger one for the years 1944–1946; as well asRussian Empirearmy's bed of honour dating from 1917.

The cemetery also housesAscension of Christ Church;the onlyLatvian Orthodoxchurch in Riga where sermons are held in Latvian.

History

The cemetery was built in 1773 following the Russian Empire's prohibition of burials within city territories. Together withVagaņkaand Novodevičja cemeteries, Pokrov Cemetery was among Russian Empire's largest five cemeteries. In 1773 a wooden Proclamation Chapel was built, and in 1777 underPskov's archbishop's order Pokrov church was built, which burnt down in 1875. On April 29, 1845, the first sermon in Latvian was held by priest Jēkabs Mihailovs, former domain factor ofPiebalga's count Šeremetjevs. In 1858 Latvian congregation was established in the church. The current church was built in 1879 designed by architect R. Pflūgs, and sanctified on September 9, 1879.

Pokrov Cemetery became Riga's Russian community's main cemetery. The base of this commune had been established from centuries of Russian families living in the land, as well as cultural workers and scientists escaping theUSSRin the early half of the 20th century. The members of the community held the cemetery in high standing, for example, the former writer and commandant ofDaugavgrīvastronghold Jurijs Gončarenko-Galičs secured himself a spot in the cemetery before shooting himself knowing that afterSoviet occupationhe would be harshly prosecuted.

The burials were suspended in 1964, and in 1967 the cemetery was administratively joined withGreat Cemetery of Rigato establish a memorial park. In 1991, the ownership over the cemetery was restored toLatvian Orthodox Church,who restored the cemetery operation.

Notable interments

A number of notable citizens of Riga are buried here, such as archbishop of RigaJānis Pommers,metropolitan ofVilniusandLithuaniaSergejs (Voskresenskis), poet O. Šmidta, teacher F. Erns, magistrate N. Eše, literature critic P. Piļskis, state councillor V. Juzepčuks, governor of Riga A. Beklešovs, professor V. Černobajevs, primadonna ofMariinsky TheatreM. Čerkaska, augur Eižens Finks, infantry general A. Simonovs, actor V. Svobodins,Saint Petersburgopera soloist D. Smirnovs, writerAleksey Tolstoy's wife J. Rožanska, Russian First journalism school principal P. Piļskis, bibliographer S. Minclovs, Check assassinated literate and newspaperSegodnya( "Сегодня"from Russian:" Today ") editor M. Ganfmans, state councillor K. Kuzjmanovs, poet Leri (V. Klopotovskis), professor V. Kļimenko,Order of the Three Starscavalier and professor G. Klarks,knyazP. Jengaličevs, painter Sergejs Vinogradovs, artist K. Visockis, publisher N. Belocvetovs, professor K. Arabažins, actor J. de Burs, philosopher Žakovs, private assistant professor J. Bērziņš, pharmacologist A. Pauls, biologist Kārlis Reinholds Kupfers, actressVija Artmane.Here are also located the burials of Mukhins (such as world-known sculptorVera Mukhina) andVērmanes Gardenpatron Wöhrmann family graves.

See also

• List of cemeteries in Latvia

Bibliography

• Покровское кладбище. Слава и забвение: Сборник статей / Сост. С. Видякина, С. Ковальчук. Multicentrs: Рига, 2004 – 312 с.
• Kalistrata Žakova Rīgas arhīvs. // Religiski-filozofiski raksti. Latvijas Universitātes Filozofijas un socioloģijas institūts: Rīga, IX/2005.

External links

• Pokrov Cemetery home page