Swamp instead of a cemetery: what is happening now at the Novomakaryevsky cemetery in Kirov

      The topic of the Novomakaryevsky cemetery is once again actively discussed on social media. Residents of Kirov continue to complain about the state of the area: flooded sections, fallen trees, mud, and lack of navigation. Against this backdrop, the Kirov administration announced work on the improvement of cemeteries ahead of the Trinity Parent Saturday.

      Today, May 25, on the eve of the Day of the Holy Trinity and Parent Saturday, we visited the Novomakaryevsky cemetery to see how the situation looks now. After all, in just a couple of days, dozens, if not hundreds, of Kirov residents will be there to honor the memory of the deceased.

      In many places, water still stands right between the graves. The ground is so saturated with moisture that it literally collapses underfoot, and water immediately appears in the footprints. In some areas, one can only walk on "carefully" thrown boards, splinters, and wooden debris. However, moving along such "paths" requires jumping. How elderly people are supposed to reach the graves in these conditions is an open question.

      During a live broadcast on May 20, the head of the Kirov administration, Vyacheslav Simakov, promised to address this issue and remove the water from the cemetery, but as we could see, the situation has not changed; the water has only dried up a bit naturally. In some areas, the consequences of flooding are noticeable: some graves are washed out, crosses are leaning or lying flat on the ground. Fallen trees from the May hurricane can still be seen in the cemetery. Some of them lie directly on the graves. In certain sectors, trash is scattered around. Of course, nothing can prevent people from honoring the memory of their loved ones, but such an attitude towards burial sites raises a lot of questions for the city administration. Moreover, complaints about the state of the Novomakaryevsky cemetery began to emerge en masse back in April. At that time, social media posts appeared about graves in water, leaning crosses, and the lack of proper roads to the sections.

      Another problem is the lack of navigation. There are no signs with sector numbers on the territory. Finding the right section turns into a real quest. For instance, while searching for sector 17, we spent more than half an hour, constantly hitting dead ends and turning the wrong way. It is unclear how ordinary people are supposed to understand where their deceased relatives are located. Meanwhile, new burials appear almost daily, the territory changes, and without proper maps or signs, it becomes increasingly difficult for people to find the graves they are looking for.

      In the meantime, the Kirov administration reported that work is underway to improve the cemeteries. The funeral service reported on intensified garbage removal, cleaning up fallen trees, and mowing grass. However, when we were there, work was only being done on improving the entrance area.

      Additionally, officials reported on work to divert water specifically at the Novomakaryevsky cemetery. According to Konstantin Khaliavin, head of the funeral service, they are currently deepening existing ditches and creating new ones. A drainage pipe has also been installed in one of the areas of sector 17.

      The installed drainage pipes, which appeared at the end of April, have not improved the situation, as can be seen. It is unknown what will happen on the territory after the prolonged rains predicted by meteorologists. Will people be able to visit the graves of their loved ones in peace to honor their memory? After all, people visit cemeteries not only on church holidays.