Orthodox Cemetery, Warsaw

Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw
Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw
Details
Established	1841
Location	Warsaw
Country	Poland
Coordinates	52°13′48″N 20°56′40″E / 52.23000°N 20.94444°E
Type	Christian Orthodox cemetery
Website	https://cmentarz.prawoslawie.pl/pl/
Find a Grave	Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw

The Orthodox Cemetery in Warsaw (Polish: Cmentarz Prawosławny w Warszawie) is an historic Eastern Orthodox cemetery located in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland.

History

In 1834 the first Orthodox parish was established in Warsaw and a decision was made to set up a cemetery for the community. The Roman Catholic parish of St. Lawrence was then turned into an Orthodox church, by decree of the Tsar himself. Although the cemetery was officially consecrated in 1841, the first burials took place there as early as 1836. In 1905 a new church, St. John the Ladder was built, while St. Lawrence Church returned to the Roman Catholic church after Poland regained its independence.

Customs

The burial place of a person depended on his/her social status. Thus, generals, clergy and notable civil servants were buried near the church. The second 'zone' included the graves of lower rank officers, clerks and wealthy merchants. The third 'zone' housed the graves of soldiers and members of the bourgeoisie, while the poorest were buried in the area furthest from the church. During the Warsaw Uprising mass executions of Varsovians were carried out there.

On All Saint's Day, processions of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches take place there, preceded by an ecumenical service conducted by priests from both congregations.

Notable burials

Among those buried at the cemetery are:

Mikhail Artsybashev (1879–1927), Russian poet and writer
Marko Bezruchko (1883–1944), Ukrainian military commander and a General of the Ukrainian National Republic
Andrzej Butruk (1964–2011), Polish actor, satirician, singer
Dmitry Filosofov (1872–1940), Russian author, essayist, literary critic
Aleksander Gudzowaty (1938–2013), Polish economist and entrepreneur
Czesław Kiszczak (1925–2015), Polish general, Interior Minister, Prime Minister
Jerzy Klinger (1918–1975), Polish Orthodox theologian
Siergiej Muchanow (1833–1897), Russian official, officer in the Special Corps of Gendarmes, director of the Warsaw Theatre Directorate
Alexander Petrov (1794–1867), Russian chess player, chess composer, and chess writer
Aleksandr Puzyrevskii (1845–1904), Russian General of the Infantry
Witold Smętek (1910–1983), Polish athlete (spelled as Witold Smentek)
Sokrates Starynkiewicz (1820–1892), Mayor of Warsaw
Jerzy Turonek (1929–2019), Polish-Belarusian historian
metropolitan Dionizy (Waledyński) (1876–1960)
Timothy (Szretter), a Polish Orthodox clergyman, the third Metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland (1901–1962)
Andrzej Walicki (1930–2020), Polish historian

Gallery

A Russian grave from 1908
The belltower
The grave of Jerzy Klinger painted by Jerzy Nowosielski

External links