The Soviet period was marked by a process of rapid urbanization in Moscow, which coupled with the official anti-religious policies of government authorities, swept away historical layers of the capital city. The razing of many churches and villages is a well-known fact, but fewer know that cemeteries also faced the same eradication.

According to numerous sources, during the process of removing the cemeteries, practically no reburials were carried out, only the tombstones were removed. Many of these tombstones were broken apart and used for other purposes, such as for stones to line roads or used in the construction of metro stations. The bones of those buried are in most cases still in place today except for those that fell into the excavator’s shovel.

Today, the land of former cemeteries has been built over with parks, houses, and office buildings. The people who walk, live, and work in these places are often unaware of what is under their feet. Nevertheless, from time to time these cemeteries make their existence known. While laying underground cables or pipelines, workers have accidentally run into these forgotten burial grounds.

By superimposing pre-war (and in some cases, pre-revolutionary era) maps on to modern maps, the author was able to determine the locations of former graveyards as accurately as possible. This project is dedicated not only to preserving this history, but also the history of the lands surrounding the cemeteries that were destroyed. Oblivion Scroll down Full description

A hundred years will pass, a hundred years; forgotten grave,
Buried yesterday, it will grow with grass,
And the plow will pass over it, and the dust, long cooled,
The mighty oak will wrap its roots around...
He will proudly rustle with a thick peak;
Under the shade his lovers will come -
And they will sit down to rest in the evening,
Look into the distance with their heads bowed
And the noise of dark leaves, thinking, will understand... Yakov Petrovich Polonsky, 1842