Unique Cemetery in Moscow

In my opinion， the most attractive sightseeing destinations in Moscow are Red Square， Kremlin， and Novodevichy Cemetery. Situated in the southwest of the capital of Russia， the 7.5-hectare cemetery is home to more than 26，000 celebrities. I consider it a hall of art， a burial ground of secrets and a sacred place unspoiled by money.

A Hall of Art

I had hardly heard of Novodevichy Cemetery before I arrived in Moscow， but as soon as I set foot on the cemetery where celebrities of Russia are buried， I felt the strong impact of history and art. It is more than a cemetery. It is a supersized outdoor museum of sculpture. The monuments， masterfully created， combine personalities with sculpture perfectly and give everyone a final resting place appropriately decorated.

Galina Ulanova (1909-1998)， an outstanding and world famous ballerina， visited China may times. Her tombstone is a white marble sculpture. Her dance posture as white swan in Swan Lake is eternalized in the sculpture.

Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin (1873-1938) is a world famous bass singer. The sculpture of his grave is based on a portrait by Ilya Yefimovich Repin， an artist and the singer’s contemporary. The singer sits in a sofa， his right hand on the armrest， left holding the front of the suit， his legs crossed. He seems to be listening to music.

Yuri Nikulin (1921-1997) is considered Russia’s Chaplin. He starred in many films. The statue of the film star portrays him wearing a round hat and leather shoes with his beloved dog nearby.

Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (1923-1941) is a hero of Soviet Union known to generations of Chinese for decades. The sculpture shows the 17-year-old at her hanging in the hands of German soldiers.

Andrei Tupolev (1988-1972) was a pioneering Soviet aircraft designer. His tomb presents his statue， bird’s wings and an aircraft model.

Secrets in the Cemetery

The cemetery is also home to secrets buried there. My visit to the cemetery reminds me of some secrets buried there.

Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852)， best known for his “The Government Inspector” and “Dead Souls，” was first buried at the Danilov Monastery. In 1931， Moscow authorities decided to demolish the monastery and had his remains transferred to the Novodevichy Cemetery. His body was discovered lying face down， which gave rise to the story that Gogol had been buried alive. Why he was lying face down in the first tomb remains a mystery.

Nadezhda Alliluyeva was Stalin’s wife. The 24-year-old Stalin saved the two-year-old girl. They met again 14 years later. They married in 1919. The two had a son and a daughter together. After a public spat with Stalin at a party dinner in 1932， she was found dead in her bedroom next morning， with a revolver by her side. Officially， she died of typhus. It is another mystery of the cemetery. Her grave at Novodevichy Cemetery is under a protective covering.

A Pure Place Away from Money

The world has other cemeteries of art， but the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow is unique because it stays away from money. Heroes sleep here. Wife and husband stay in eternal love. Politicians and scholars of different ideologies find peace here. Many more want to be here. Some Russian parvenus have wanted to find a place in the cemetery， but they meet unanimous objection from the Russian people. Pavel Tretyakov (1832-1898) is the only exception. He created an excellent museum with a collection of more than 100，000 artworks. After his death， he was buried in Danilov Cemetery. In 1948， his remains were transferred to Novodevichy Cemetery.