Uschodnija Cemetery, Cemetery in eastern Minsk, Belarus

Uschodnija Cemetery is a burial ground in eastern Minsk containing graves of military personnel, residents, and notable individuals from different periods. The grounds are organized into sections with pathways connecting various areas where different monument styles are visible.

Opened in 1952 on the city's edge, opposite a German Second World War soldiers' burial ground across Independence Avenue, the cemetery initially held no special status. It became the burial place of BSSR leaders and of scientists and cultural figures, gaining an elite standing, and in 2001 Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko visited it. Officially restricted for new burials in 2003, it remains Belarus's main state necropolis.

The cemetery is also called Moskovskoye, after the Moscow highway it lies on, and in Soviet times it was officially the cemetery on the Moscow Highway. Radunitsa, the day of remembrance of the dead, is observed here; the graves of Vladimir Mulyavin of Pesnyary and of the writers Vasil Bykov and Vladimir Korotkevich draw visitors. A monument at the centre honours soldiers killed in the Great Patriotic War.

Visit during daylight hours to see the monuments and graves clearly, as lighting improves visibility throughout the grounds. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you will spend time on paths between the burial sections.

The cemetery opened in 1952 opposite a burial ground for German soldiers of the Second World War, across what is now Independence Avenue. It was officially restricted for new burials in 2003, yet plots can still be granted to outstanding Belarusian figures. Its central section holds a grave of soldiers killed in the Great Patriotic War and a monument to the victims of the 1999 Nemiga stampede.