Do not rush to bury us?

The market of public services

In Moscow, an acute shortage of land in general, for burials - in particular. In this regard, the capital's State Unitary Enterprise “Ritual” limited the number of burials a day to 30. Now Domodedovo, Perepacinskoye, Nikolo-Arkhangelskoye are opened, ...

In Moscow, an acute shortage of land in general, for burials - in particular. In this regard, the capital's GUP Ritual limited the number of burials a day to 30. Now Domodedovo, Perepeches, Nikolo-Arkhangelskoye, Dolgoprudninskoye, Shcherbinsky and Khovansky cemeteries are opened. On each it is allowed to dig no more than five graves per day.

According to the law, plots in the cemetery are provided for Russian citizens for free. Relatives of the deceased in this case have to pay the State Unitary Enterprise “Ritual” (monopolist of the funeral industry in Moscow, which has the right to issue a burial in any cemetery of the city) for a set of services related to the funeral. The “complex” costs about fifteen thousand rubles (the cremation of the deceased costs the same amount). Organizing the burial of the dead in a closed cemetery is much more expensive.

There is 71 cemeteries in Moscow, but only six are open for new burials. And now the State Unitary Enterprise “Ritual” has introduced a restriction - to dig out no more than five graves per day (see document). In the remaining 65 cemeteries, it is forbidden to dig new graves. True, in closed cemeteries there are service areas where it is possible to bury a person, according to the most modest estimates, for about 150 thousand rubles. On the Internet you can find many offices that will arrange a funeral in conveniently located closed cemeteries. The funeral industry obeys the material laws of life, and if there is a financial opportunity, there will be no problems with burial.

Last year, there was an attempt to reform the GUP “Ritual”. Instead, it was decided to create a state structure that would transmit places for burial for free, which will still not save the city from the shortage of land resources.

The situation becomes critical. The State Unitary Enterprise “Ritual” in this situation cannot do anything - there is practically no free land left for the burial, the cemetery and so grow every year. According to Andrei Sharonov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin on economic issues, the Moscow authorities will buy about 300 hectares of land for cemeteries near Moscow. Then the city will cross the plots near the Bogorodsky, Domodedovo, Khovansky, Perepeches and Bykovsky cemeteries. However, this decision is for the future, and it will still not save from the land deficit.

By the way out of the situation, many experts consider cremation that the Russian Orthodox Church has always opposed, and which Moscow officials lobby are lobbying.

It is also not entirely clear what the city’s authorities will do in the summer. Anomalous heat and was able to lead to a sharp exacerbation of diseases last year. As a result, there was a sharp jump in mortality throughout Russia (it was a record high level in Moscow). In August last year, according to Rosstat, the country recorded 27.4% more deaths than in August 2009.

As the head of the capital's department of health, Andrei Seltsovsky, said in August 2010, at ordinary days in Moscow, 360-380 people die a day in Moscow, and in the conditions of the heat and smog about 700. This figure then “caused bewilderment” by the Minister of Health and Social Development of Tatyana Golikova. The fact is that the Ministry of Health and Social Development leads its statistics, and on it, for example, in January-June 2010, mortality in Moscow decreased by 9% compared to the same period of 2009.

However, later (at the end of August 2010), the Ministry of Health published official data. In July, mortality in Moscow increased by 50.7% (the highest indicator in the country). These figures do not fit with the "funeral" limit of the city authorities.

The deputy head of the capital's department of trade and services, Andrei Marsy in the media, denied information about the introduction of the limit. But then how then to characterize the document that was at the disposal of the editorial office?

To the question of the “new” about how they are going to solve the “inconsistency” of the limit of 30 and by an order of magnitude more real deaths, the press service of the Moscow government has not yet responded.