Everything is like people

How the only pets in Moscow works

The first and only cemetery of pets in Moscow is located on the Mashkinsky highway in the Kurkino area. High -risk new buildings rise above the graves. Most of the tombstones are made of marble. Everything is like people: nickname, years of life, photography and epitaph. Often something sentimental like: "Rest in peace, a fluffy lump of happiness."

Necropolis for animals occupies two hectares of land fenced with a two -meter fence. Until noon, it is empty at the cemetery: one pair is cleaned up on the grave of the cat, a single woman washes a plate nearby, on which a fight of a fighting breed is carved. Sunny summer day. Birds sing.

The cemetery opened in 2007. According to its director Andrei Zhuravlev, the idea belonged to his friends, who leased a wasteland in Kurkin overwhelmed by construction garbage. At first they thought of working for people, but the area of ​​the site did not allow to turn around. Since all entrepreneurs had pets, it was decided to retrain on animals.

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

“Have you buried before where? - says Zhuravlev, pacing along the paths past the graves, on which there are bowls and toys. - In the yards, everywhere! What leads to what people dig in summer cottages? The fact that cadaveric poison enters the wells with groundwater. All this is reflected in health. ” In the spring, says the director of the animal necropolis, the corpses were found in children's sandboxes - it was difficult for people to dig a frozen soil.

In general, burrow animals in the beds of cottages, in parks, squares and wastelands contradicts sanitary rules. For violation, fine. Ordinary citizens can be forced to pay four or five thousand rubles, officials - from 20 to 40 thousand. Entrepreneurs working without the formation of a legal entity faces a fine of up to fifty thousand rubles. Yurlitsa can impoverish 500-700 thousand rubles.

According to Russian laws, the body of the animal should be cremated. There are practically no grounds for burying corpses in the ground. The exception is carcasses of deer who died in the tundra, or animals that were killed due to some epidemic, and even then if you can’t get rid of bodies differently.

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

The Ecologa plant, located in Lyubertsy, used to be engaged in cremation. There were burned by animals shot down on the roads, hairdressing hair, nails made of manicure salons, amputated limbs, carved cancer tumors, and meat that stood out in the markets. About a thousand tons per year burned in the furnaces of the Ecologist. There was a separate furnace for individual cremation - especially for the needs of the cemetery in Kurkin. But in September 2014, due to the protests of the residents of the growing area, Nekrasovka, who complained about the smell of decomposition, stopped the disposal, and the plant was closed, says Zhuravlev. Now you have to cremate in other places.

Zhuravlev is often offered to bury the body of the animal for a bribe

“Here everywhere in the cemetery of the urno with dust,” says Zhuravlev. - The only problem is that the cemetery for Moscow is officially one. The second wanted to open in the Kosino-Ukhtomsky district. There is a signed contract, but its opening is not coordinated. The officials decided that one cemetery for Moscow was enough. With Domodedovo and Krasnogvardeiskaya, people are not ready to come here more than once. ”

The cost of burials in the necropolis for animals varies depending on the place. You can pour the ashes for free into the well on the "Alley of Memories" - a plot at an artificial pond with a bench. For four thousand a year, you can rent a cell in Columbaria, six thousand costs a grave, and 12 thousand will need to be paid for a place on the Heroes Alley. This is a VIP platform. For example, animals of actresses Irina Miroshnichenko are buried there. The amount of annual lease includes the care of the grave, cleaning snow and protection from the vandals that come from the Kurkino park.

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

Strictly buried the urns with ashes. Although Zhuravlev is often offered to bury the body of the animal for a bribe. “We understand that the law can be violated, but we will not go to it. The land is not in the property, but on lease, due to violations, the lease may stop, ”the director of the cemetery argues pragmatically.

In a year, two hectares cost one and a half million rubles, in total to the cemetery, according to Zhuravlev, up to two thousand burials. Often on graves are bowls and favorite toys. The owners of the animals plant flowers. Cats and dogs are buried most often. In addition to them, otter, turtles and a tigerka were buried, which, judging by the grave plate, lived only a month.

The business is going as planned, although politics intervened in its development: due to sanctions there were problems with ordering Dutch urns for dust, because of Ukrainian events-with the supply of white marble for tombstones.

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

“Well, in general, the crisis is felt,” says Zhuravlev, standing opposite the monument to Rottweiler. The dog is cut out of black stone in full height and stands on a massive plate. Specifically, this tombstone was performed in China, and so grave plates can be ordered right there, but the workshops are in other places: in the Khovansky and Mitinsky cemeteries.

Due to sanctions, problems arose with ordering Dutch urn for dust

Some graves have their own stories. For example, at the kitty. “His owner had a heart attack,” says the director of the cemetery. - During the attack, the cat lay on his chest and lay there for several days. The owner survived. After a while, the cat died. It turned out that he died of a heart attack. And the man did not even find scars. The owner thinks that the cat has taken over a heart attack. ”

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

Another client, visiting the grave, found out that there were cat graves next to his dog, and asked to bury the urn in another place. He says that the dog could not stand the cats. Another owner comes to the grave of his pet every day at 14:00 and leaves exactly one hour later. Another woman visits a cat’s grave at least twice a week. She was well remembered in the cemetery. Somehow in winter, until two in the morning she collected snow, which fell quite a bit to cover the grave of her cat.

“Once before cremation, the dog’s tip was cut off in the dog. They wanted to clone. I don’t know how it ended, ”the director of the cemetery recalls with a smile.

Pets cemetery in Kurkino photo: Sergey Karpov for TD

With an animal in the cemetery, they even let me say goodbye to a person. There is a special ritual hall from which, after farewell, the body leaves for a special transporter in the wall. Everything is like people. But not all owners of domestic animals are reverent about their pets, says Zhuravlev. Somehow the hostess of the sick cat accidentally, instead of the doctor’s office, came to the hall for farewell and was surprised: “Ritual services? For what? If he dies, I will take him to the trash. ”