Novodevichy Cemetery exists at the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent, which is located on Moskovsky Prospect. At the same time, the first burials appeared here a few years before the foundation stone of the monastery was laid, in the middle of the 19th century.

Only wealthy families could afford a place on the territory of the necropolis, because it cost a round sum (according to some sources, it was 500 rubles). The cemetery is known for its monuments and artistic statues, which were installed by families of deceased nobles and merchants. For the abundance of unusual crypts that have survived from the past centuries, the Novodevichy Cemetery is sometimes called the “Russian Pere Lachaise”.

Famous military figures, aristocrats, cultural figures, artists and scientists are buried on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent. Here you can visit the graves of Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel and his wife, poet Fedor Tyutchev, writer Nikolai Nekrasov and many others.

Many graves were destroyed during the Soviet regime during the liquidation of cemeteries in the 1920s and 30s. All the chapels and churches of the cemetery were demolished. Burials suffered from vandals and grave diggers. Since 2004, more than 13,000 graves have been recognized as monuments and taken under state protection.

One of the most famous monuments of the Novodevichy Convent is the figure of Christ on the grave of Anna Vershinina, the wife of General Alexey Vershinin. At the beginning of the 20th century, the figure was made by Italian master P. Cafferle. The statue became popular among believers in Leningrad during the Soviet period. There were notes on the grave with prayers and requests for help, and candles were always burning here.