Great Cemetery, Cemetery and park in Vidzeme Suburb, Latvia
The Great Cemetery is a burial ground and park in Vidzeme Suburb covering about 22 hectares of land. It contains numerous graves, memorials, and stone monuments in various styles that reflect different periods and the city's diverse communities.
The site was established in 1773 following Catherine the Great's decree and served as the main burial ground for Baltic Germans until 1957. After that year, much of it was transformed into a memorial park.
The burial ground holds separate sections for Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christian communities, each with their own character and traditions. You can walk through these distinct areas and see how different religious groups maintained their practices side by side.
The grounds are open year-round and can be reached easily by tram number 11 from Barona Street to the Mēness stop. Wear comfortable walking shoes as you navigate the paths and grassy areas between graves and monuments.
The Russian Orthodox section became known as Pokrov Cemetery and remains the only part that escaped transformation during Soviet times. This distinction makes it a special corner within the broader burial landscape.
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