In the north-west of Moscow, not far from Krasnopresnenskaya Zastava Square, there is a cemetery, which has been one of the main attractions of the capital for many decades. Singers, actors, painters, writers and athletes are buried here. But the most famous and legendary place in this cemetery, perhaps, is Yesenin's grave.
Monument
The bitter glory of the "brawler and brawler" haunts the poet even after death. To this day, personalities gather at the tombstone, perceiving the cemetery as a suitable place for drinking strong drinks. They recite poetry loudly and tell numerous stories. However, fans of the classic of Russian poetry come here no less often in order to honor the memory with quiet silence.
Where is Yesenin's grave? Even a person who finds himself in an old Moscow cemetery for the first time can find an answer to this question. Almost every visitor will show the way to it. But it is hardly possible to pass by the Yesenin monument. It is enough just to walk along the central alley, and the monument to the golden-haired poet will catch your eye.
He stands as if alive, arms folded, in a simple peasant shirt… And very young. When you look at him, you again remember how quickly, although extremely brightly, the brilliant poet from the Ryazan outback lived his life.
How to get there?
Finding the Vagankovsky cemetery is easy. You need to get to the metro station "Ulitsa 1905 Goda", and already when you exit the car, on the columns, you can see the signs.
After exiting the underground passage, you must go along Bolshaya December Street past residential buildings. And five minutes later the Church of the Resurrection of the Word opens up.
An extraordinary atmosphere reigns in this historical part of Moscow. The air here seems to be saturated with the spirit of folk poetry. And even before reaching the cemetery itself, you will hear recordings with Vysotsky's hoarse voice. The last refuge here was found by poets, whose work was loved by the common people, but whose life was tragic and ended too soon. And in the very center of the cemetery there is an alley named after the greatest of them - Yeseninskaya. Walking along it, you can see a marble monument depicting a young fair-haired man. This is Yesenin's grave.
History of the cemetery
At the end of the 18th century, on the outskirts of Moscow, which at that time was still a small town, the village of Novoe Vagankovo was formed. At the same time, a burial place for nameless Muscovites was created, named after this settlement.
Firstthe graves at the Vagankovsky cemetery belonged to residents of Moscow who died during the plague. In subsequent years, ordinary poor people were also buried here. The graves of representatives of the peasant class are located today in the old part of this place. Later, a temple was erected, and over time, the Vagankovskoye cemetery turned not only into a place for burials, but also into a kind of accumulation of historical monuments.
Yesenin's funeral
On the last winter day of 1925, a cross was erected here, on which were the dates of life and his name - Sergei Alexandrovich Yesenin. The grave, the cemetery were surrounded by people. According to eyewitnesses, not a single Russian poet was buried like this. In addition to numerous admirers, relatives and friends came to say goodbye to the "last poet of the village". Only Galina Benislavskaya was missing. These days she was not in Moscow.
There is a version according to which the poet did not commit suicide, but was killed by the NKVD. The works of Eduard Khlystalov, a researcher of Yesenin's death, are devoted to this hypothesis. But it is customary to attribute the fact that Yesenin was buried in the territory of the cemetery, and not outside its fence, to the evidence of the version of the murder among fans of the work of the Russian classic. The clergy allegedly guessed the true cause of death and agreed to bury the deceased. But it is worth remembering that the funeral took place in 1925. The authorities agreed to allocate a place of honor for the burial. The point, rather, was that it was they who decided such issues in those years, but not the priests. BUTthe tradition of burying suicides behind the cemetery fence was forgotten.
Legends
Yesenin's grave at the Vagankovsky cemetery is one of the most visited places. And therefore, there were no rumors and legends here. According to frequent visitors to the cemetery, Yesenin's grave is periodically visited by a female ghost. The ghost appears in the night and silently stands at the monument. And those who have seen or believe in its existence are sure that it is Galina Benislavskaya.
Galina Benislavskaya
Next to Yesenin's monument rests Galina Benislavskaya - a woman who was not loved by the poet, but was pathologically faithful to him. A year after his death in a deserted cemetery, at his very grave, she committed suicide, leaving a suicide note. On a small gravestone are engraved the words from Yesenin's letter addressed to Benislavskaya.
Yesenin's grave is one of the most famous burials at the Vagankovsky cemetery, and therefore fresh flowers always lie here. In order to find the place where the ashes of the poet rest, it is enough just to go to the cemetery. Any person can show the way to it. Almost a century has passed since the death of the poet, but “the folk path will not overgrow to his monument.”
