"Star" necropolis: what secrets does the Vagankovskoye cemetery keep

The history of the capital's cemeteries has hundreds of secrets and legends. Reburials, during which the heads of the dead disappeared, encrypted inscriptions on the monuments, Scandinavian marks and bulletproof caps for tombstones...

The online edition of the site has launched a project in which you will learn about the history, legends and state of the art metropolitan cemeteries. In the first article, we Novodevichy cemetery, next in line is the no less famous and legendary Vagankovskoye.

Officially, the history of the Vagankovsky cemetery began almost 250 years ago, when a plague epidemic broke out in Moscow. Empress Catherine II issued a decree that all plague victims would be buried outside the city.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, poor people found their last shelter on Vagankovsky - peasants and bourgeois, as well as petty officials and retired military men. And only at the beginning of the last century, the graves of people who left a mark on history began to appear here.

Sergei Yesenin, Vladimir Vysotsky, Igor Talkov, Bulat Okudzhava, Vasily Aksenov, Leonid Filatov, Lev Yashin... The Vagankovo ​​cemetery is a real "star" necropolis. People come here as if on an excursion - to see the monuments and remember their favorite artist, poet or sportsman.

There are also many mass graves here. For example, in the far corner of the cemetery, the victims of the mass stampede on the Khodynka field, which took place in May 1896 during the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, are buried. The revolutionary Bauman, whose funeral the Bolsheviks turned into a grandiose demonstration and used to prepare an uprising, also rests at the Vagankovsky cemetery, and next to him is the legendary sailor Zheleznyak.

Monument without a grave

Away from the central alley of the cemetery lies the wife theater director Vsevolod Meyerhold, actress Zinaida Reich and her children from marriage with Sergei Yesenin Konstantin and Tatyana.

The monument also has the inscription "Vsevolod Emilievich Meyerhold", although the ashes of the director are in the cemetery of the Moscow crematorium near the Donskoy Monastery. The couple died under tragic circumstances - Meyerhold was shot for "counter-revolutionary activities", and Reich was killed by unknown persons shortly after her husband's arrest.

The monument on Reich's grave was erected by Meyerhold's granddaughter Maria Valentey in 1956, when she did not yet know the circumstances of her grandfather's death. The true burial place of the director became known only in 1987.

"In this grave, everything is dear to me"

A year after the death of Sergei Yesenin, Galina Benislavskaya, a friend and literary secretary of the poet, committed suicide on his grave. She left a note: "I killed myself here, although I know that after that more dogs will hang on Yesenin. But he and I don't care. Everything in this grave is dear to me."

Benislavskaya shot herself in the head and lay on the grave all night. They buried her next to Yesenin, on a memorial plaque - an excerpt from Yesenin's letter. Rumor has it that after Benislavskaya, several more people committed suicide on Yesenin's grave.

Inspiration of poets and tears of Vladi

There were many rumors around the funeral of Vladimir Vysotsky. Allegedly, they planned to bury him in the far corner, but the director - a big fan of the artist's work - allocated a place right at the entrance. They also said that before Vysotsky, another person was buried at this place, whose remains shortly before the death of the bard were transported to Siberia, to their small homeland.

To see Vysotsky on his last journey, so many people gathered at the cemetery that many had to climb fences and trees. It is believed that the monument gives inspiration to poets and musicians.

On the monument, Vysotsky is depicted in full height, pulled together by a canvas, which evokes thoughts about his difficult relationship with censorship. Above the head is a guitar resembling a halo, behind which the heads of horses are "hidden". The images of these animals were not used by chance: Vysotsky's tragic and hysterical song "Fussy Horses" became the leitmotif of the monument.

Vysotsky's wife, Marina Vlady, did not like the monument to such an extent that when she saw it, she burst into tears. "An impudent gilded statue, a symbol socialist realism", was her response.

Two crosses Talkov

A few years before his death, the poet and composer Igor Talkov, walking in the Kolomenskoye park, found a cross that had fallen from one of the domes of the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. The musician decided to take the cross home so that he could return it to the church when it was restored. He never managed to do this.

Now, a large bronze cross, made in the Old Slavonic style, is installed on Talkov's grave. A line from his song is engraved on the monument: "And defeated in battle, I will rise and sing."

They say that one fan decided to bury herself next to her favorite singer. She dug a hole nearby, came up with a design so that it would immediately be covered with earth ... Fortunately, the girl was saved.

Cheerful clown with sad eyes

The famous mime clown died at the age of 37 from a broken heart. It was the July heat in Moscow, everything was covered in smoke from peat fires. Yengibarov became ill. During one of the attacks, he asked his mother to bring him cold champagne. The clown's heart gave out and he died. When Yengibarov was buried, heavy rain began in the capital.

The monument depicts an artist with an umbrella in his hand. "A cheerful clown with sad eyes under a holey umbrella" is one of Yengibarov's favorite images on the arena.

Iceberg for Abdulov

The monument to the actor Alexander Adbulov, who died of lung cancer in 2008, is made in the style of constructivism. Representing a block of gray-white granite, above which a white marble cross rises, the monument resembles an iceberg.

A plate with the image of Abdulov as Lancelot from the movie "Kill the Dragon" is mounted in the block, and the letters of the actor's name are made in the form of a ladder. The initiators of the erection of this monument were Abdulov's wife, his friends and relatives.

Children of Nord-Ost

Two young artists of the musical "Nord-Ost" are buried near the columbarium - 13-year-old Arseniy Kurylenko and 14-year-old Kristina Kurbatova, who became victims of the terrorist attack on Dubrovka in 2002.

Their parents wanted two coffins to lie next to each other. Birch branches touchingly lean over the white monuments, as if guarding the peace of children who have fallen asleep forever.

Also read with the caretaker of the Vagankovsky cemetery.

On November 4, the famous singer and musician would have turned 60 Igor Talkov, but 25 years ago his life was suddenly cut short. The murder of Talkov became one of the most high-profile crimes of the early 1990s, and some moments of his life are considered by many to be signs warning of imminent death.

Mystical omens accompanied Talkov all his life. Death could have overtaken him much sooner. Back in 1969, at the age of 13, Igor and his friends played a dangerous game: they squeezed each other's carotid artery in order to switch off for a while, and then tell who what visions came at that moment. Igor then lost consciousness for 20 minutes, and when the frightened friends managed to bring him to his senses, he said that he heard a voice telling him: "Your time has not come yet."

In the mid 1980s. Talkov first appeared on television: first - as a soloist of the Electroclub group, then - as solo singer. Gradually, he moves from lyrical songs to acute social ones. In the late 1980s Talkov created his own group - "Lifebuoy", and began to perform songs of his own composition. Incredible popularity came to him, he toured a lot. However, it was at this time that clouds began to gather over him. The singer's brother Vladimir recalled: “The song “Russia” turned out to be fatal for Igor, with which he signed his own death warrant. I immediately told him about it, and he himself understood. When the song was finally edited, at night Igor dreamed of black hands that were trying to strangle him. In general, there has always been a lot of mysticism around the brother. How did he live with it? I believed in God."

The lyrics of his songs were too bold for those times, and Igor Talkov's widow Tatyana repeatedly stated that he was inconvenient for the authorities, whose authority he never recognized. Therefore, versions were also put forward that the murder of the singer was organized by special services, and although this was not confirmed, today many people make such assumptions. But the popularity of Talkov in the early 1990s. was so high that it was extremely unprofitable for the authorities to attract the attention of millions by killing an idol.

In 1989, the singer was going to fly on the next tour, his wife was worried before his flight, and he said a phrase that Tatyana Talkova remembered forever: “Do not be afraid, I will die differently - with a large crowd of people. The killer will never be found." They say that Pavel Globa predicted such a fate for him. His role in the film "Beyond the Last Line" also became prophetic: according to the plot, his hero died from a shot at point-blank range. The scene was filmed on October 6, 1990, exactly one year before his death.

In the early 1990s during a tour in Tajikistan, the singer was electrocuted. Vladimir Talkov witnessed this incident: “He lay unconscious on the floor, he began to have convulsions, he was twisted into some incredible position. He had a bass guitar in his hands, which we could not tear off in any way. The strings burned to the palm of my hand ... After this story, Igor was afraid to pick up a microphone for some time, he asked me to wrap it with insulation.

The day before his death, Talkov broke a string during a performance, which was considered a bad omen by the musicians. Before leaving for St. Petersburg, he said goodbye to his wife and son for a very long time. And on October 6, that fateful concert happened. The conflict did not occur between Talkov and Aziza, but between their directors - Shlyafman and Malakhov. Aziza did not have time to change clothes before going on stage, and Talkov was asked to speak to her. The singer did not mind, but Shlyafman began to sort things out and, according to the singer's wife, provoked a fight with a weapon.

Whose shot turned out to be fatal - Shlyafman or Malakhov - is still arguing. Experts are inclined to think that it was an accident, and a random bullet killed the singer in a brawl. After that, Shlyafman emigrated to Israel and changed his last name. Igor Talkov died at the age of 34. Punishment for his murder - unintentional or intentional - no one has suffered.

There were so many versions about the circumstances of this murder that 25 years after the death of the singer, finding the truth is as difficult as unraveling

The Vagankovo ​​cemetery is one of the largest in Moscow. It was built in 1771 by order of Count Orlov.

This happened at a time when Russian Empire the plague was raging. The territory of the Vagankovsky cemetery was allocated for the burial of those who were killed by this disease.

Only in the 19th century did they begin to bury outstanding personalities in the cemetery - about 100 thousand burials reflect the history of our state.

Participants of the Battle of Borodino, victims of Stalin's repressions, participants of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1942), children who died in the terrorist attack on Dubrovka, various famous personalities are buried in the cemetery - more than 500 thousand Muscovites in total, while only 100 thousand of all burials have been preserved .

Where is the Vagankovskoye cemetery in Moscow

The object is located at the address: Sergey Makeev street, house 15.

The area of ​​the cemetery is almost 48 hectares. This article will serve as a kind of guide between the sites where the graves of famous people are located.

Scheme showing graves

The Vagankovskoye cemetery is very extensive, without any plan or scheme, it is impossible to navigate. The diagram shown in the photo shows the location of 60 burial sites, each of which has its own number.

Two mass graves and Orthodox Church. The paths between the sections also have their own names. Also, opposite the Vagankovsky cemetery, the Armenian one is located, which is its branch.

Where can I get a complete list of graves

A complete list of burials can be found at the cemetery administration or at the special site. resources. For example, here https://nekropole.info/ru/person/list?cemetery_id=3433 is a list of all persons buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery in Moscow.

Another interesting resource offers an interactive map http://vagankovo.net/interaktivnaya-karta/. By clicking on any site number, the link is followed and a list of persons buried here opens.

Which celebrity is buried

Excursions are held at the Vagankovsky cemetery for those who wish, during which sightseers will see the graves of famous personalities of our country - poets Bulat Okudzhava, Vladimir Vysotsky, Sergei Yesenin, artist Alexei Savrasov, actors Alexander Abdulov, Andrei Mironov, TV presenters Vladimir Voroshilov and Vladislav Listyev, and many others .

Grave of Vladimir Vysotsky

Vladimir Semyonovich was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery in 1980. His grave is located next to the entrance to the cemetery, on the right side.

His site - at number 1, is still one of the most visited. His mother, Vysotskaya Nina Maksimovna, is buried next to Vysotsky.

Grave of Alexander Abdulov

A. A. Abdulov was born on May 29, 1953. The artist died on January 3, 2008. A few months before his death, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Alexander Gavrilovich was famous actor theater and cinema. Worked at the Lenkom Theatre. The number of films in which Abdulov starred has lost count. The number varies from 100 to 150 paintings. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery on site number 2.

Grave of George Vitsin

G. M. Vitsin was born on April 5, 1917. Due to chronic diseases of the liver and heart, Vitsin passed away on October 22, 2001. Georgy Mikhailovich was a theater and film actor. He worked at the Yermolova Theater. He was involved in more than 300 works.

People know him from such films as "Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Gentlemen of Fortune". Unfortunately, in last years his work was no longer in demand. He was buried on October 25, 2001 at the Vagankovsky cemetery on site 12A.

Grave of Igor Talkov

I. V. Talkov was born on November 4, 1956. He was a singer, actor, poet. Took part in 18 projects. During a concert at the Yubileiny Sports Complex in St. Petersburg, Talkov was shot dead. He seemed to have a premonition of his death and knew how he would be killed.

He said that they would shoot at him in front of a large number of people, and the shooter would never be found. And so it happened. The killer of Igor Vladimirovich hid in Israel for a long time. The singer's funeral took place on October 9, he was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery site number 25.

Grave of Sergei Yesenin

How to find the grave of a famous poet? In order for everyone to honor the memory of Sergei Yesenin, guide signs were installed at the Vagankovsky cemetery near the entrance. Near the grave of the poet is the grave of Galina Benislavskaya, a girl in love with the poet.

S. A. Yesenin was born on September 21, 1895. On December 28, 1925, Yesenin was found hanged in his room at the Angeleterre Hotel in St. Petersburg. He was an outstanding poet silver age. His poems have always been in demand and loved. Until now, his poems are read, they are taught in schools.

The grave of Sergei Alexandrovich is the most visited at the Vagankovsky cemetery. There are always fresh flowers on it. Yesenin's grave is constantly visited by fans of his work.

Grave of Vladislav Listyev

V. N. Listyev was born on May 10, 1956. He was a TV presenter and TV journalist. He was also the first CEO ORT. Before that, he was the host of numerous popular TV shows, such as Field of Miracles, Guess the Melody, Rush Hour.

On March 1, 1995, Listyev was shot dead in the front door of his house. He spent a little more than a month as director of ORT. The investigation into Listyev's murder is still ongoing. His grave with a tombstone is located on site number 1.

Grave of Vyacheslav Ivankov (Jap)

V. K. Ivankov was born on January 2, 1940. Was crime boss and a thief in law. Created his own criminal group. Groupings under the guise of a police search got into the apartments of those who, in their opinion, earned money by unclean labor. Some were taken to the forest and tortured. Gangs worked throughout the USSR.

On July 28, 2009, Yaponchik was attacked. He received several gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital, where he was put into an induced coma. From September 13 to September 14, Ivankov experienced a clinical death, and on October 9 he died in an oncology center from peritonitis.

Yaponchik's grave is of great interest, therefore, excursions are occasionally given to it. Vyacheslav Ivankov is buried at site number 55.

Grave of Andrey Mironov

A. A. Mironov was born on March 7, 1941. He was an Honored Artist of the RSFSR. He has been involved in more than 80 projects. His work is admired to this day. He gave his all to the theatre. As they say, he spent his whole life on stage. Death also caught him on the stage.

At the play "The Marriage of Figaro", where he performed leading role He had a cerebral hemorrhage. Later, the actor was found to have a congenital aneurysm. Andrey Alexandrovich Mironov was buried at site number 40.

Conclusion

The most famous attraction of the Vagankovsky cemetery is the Church of the Resurrection of the Word, built in the period 1819 - 1831. Previously, there was a small wooden church in the cemetery (1773), on the site of which in this moment there is a rotunda.

Divine services are regularly held in the existing stone church, memorial services are performed, a lot of missionary and educational work is being carried out, and a Sunday school for children is functioning.

All information, schedule, opening hours, news and much more can be seen on the official website http://vagankovo.net/.

October 6 marks the 22nd anniversary of the murder of Igor Talkov. They still argue why the singer and poet were shot in cold blood, at close range, from a distance of forty centimeters. Right in the heart, leaving no chance to survive.

But much has been written about his death. And about what happened at the cemetery in the first time after Igor's funeral, before today history was silent. This was told to us by fans of Talkov, who for many years sacredly keep the memory of great artist.

“The grave of a meter and a half or two up was strewn with flowers,” eyewitnesses told us. - So many people came to say goodbye to Igor that all the main streets were blocked at the entrances to the Vagankovsky cemetery.

Until the ninth day, people walked and carried flowers - both modest bouquets and huge ones of immense size. And suddenly the most beautiful and expensive began to disappear from the grave. It turned out that at night they were dragged away by local homeless people. And they resold. Then a new attack. At the burial place of the artist, they began to find the torn carcasses of cats, dogs and blood.

“Animal corpses are planted by Satanists who perform their magical rituals in cemeteries,” Vyacheslav Klimov, a researcher of the unknown, a member of the well-known Ghostbusters team in Moscow, told us. - Fresh graves are of particular interest to them. Especially famous artist, a powerful figure, a special, strong energy, for which the clergy hunt.

And what battles unfolded around the monument! After the death of the artist, the healer Juna Davitashvili set out to put a huge gray boulder on his grave. With the inscription "From Juna". Moreover, it was the fans who collected the money for the tombstone. Remittances came in batches to the singer's mother Olga Yulyevna. “And will it be written -“ From Juna ”? Why? fans were outraged. “And why a gray boulder, and not an Orthodox cross - after all, Talkov was a believer.” A whole delegation went to the artist's mother. And in the end they defended, achieved - they installed a cross with the inscription: "To Igor Talkov from the Russian people."

Meanwhile, the singer's widow Tatyana has not come to the cemetery for several years either on the day of his death on October 6, or on his birthday on November 4 - all the same loyal fans clean up the grave. Tatyana refuses to even participate in the evenings in memory of the singer - they are arranged with their own money by people who remember and love Talkov. The widow also refuses to be interviewed. There is a feeling that she still has not forgiven her husband. After all, Igor was very loving during his lifetime. Being married, he had romantic relationships with many ladies in the star party. And to the actress Margarita Terekhova, he even left the family. Then, however, he returned.

25 years ago, on October 6, 1991, the poet, composer and singer Igor Talkov was shot dead behind the scenes of the St. Petersburg Yubileiny Sports Palace. The murder took place over a dispute over speaking order. In Russian show business, the closer the performance to the finale of the concert, the more honorable. Singer Aziza, whose performance was scheduled before Talkov, wanted to perform later. Aziza's friend, at her request, asked Igor to change the queue. Talkov called the director of the singer, Igor Malakhov, to his dressing room, the conversation with whom ended in a verbal skirmish - two of Talkov's guards took Malakhov out into the corridor. Igor began to prepare for the speech, but a few minutes later his administrator, Valery Shlyafman, ran up to him, shouting that Malakhov had taken out a revolver. Talc jumped out into the corridor with a gas pistol. The shooting and the fight ended with the fact that one of the three bullets fired from the revolver hit Talkov right in the heart.
Malakhov manages to escape. There is no doubt that he is a killer. The patriotic press angrily writes how a pop Uzbek killed a Russian singer-prophet. Ten days later, Malakhov surrenders himself to the investigation. He will be unexpectedly released on bail. Later it will be established: Talkov, apparently by accident, was shot by his director Valery Shlyafman, who snatched a pistol from Malakhov with the last cartridge. Shlyafman will be charged in May 1992, but back in February he will move to Israel with his immigrant parents, with whom Russia did not have an extradition agreement at that time - the murder case was suspended.

Three days later, on October 9, 1991, Igor Talkov was buried in Moscow at the Vagansk cemetery. A poor video recording from Talkov's funeral has been preserved, but, by a strange coincidence, there are practically no photographs. The only detailed reportage was made by my good friend - amateur photographer, master of reportage photography Alexei Morkin. Aleksey introduced himself as a freelance correspondent for the MK, after which the police let him through the cordon without checking his documents. A couple of years ago, Stanislav Sadalsky showed several pictures from this archive in his blog. Today I will introduce you more complete selection, it is fully posted by Alexei Morkin on Yandex photos.

After the funeral, the coffin with the body of Talkov is taken out of the church:

Funeral procession:

Parting:

Burial place of Igor Talkov: