A mass grave is a burial place for a group of people who died at the same time due to some events, among which there may be military operations, epidemics, natural disasters, repressions, etc. Such objects have their own number and are indicated on maps. Data on the identities of the people lying in the grave, as a rule, is unknown. Burials are divided into civil and military, while the military must salute the mass graves of the dead soldiers.
The oldest mass grave was found on the territory of the Old Simonov Monastery in Moscow, where cubic meters of human remains were found. The skulls of the buried, according to experts, belonged to young he althy people, and clothes and some items were not preserved. This, together with the necessary analyzes, led to the conclusion that in this place there was a mass grave of soldiers who died assupposedly during the Battle of Kulikovo.
The territory of Russia has been repeatedly subjected to military raids. Therefore, a mass grave, unfortunately, is a frequent occurrence in many settlements. So, in the seventies of the 20th century, at the edge of the Utitsky forest, a collective burial with a total area of about 170 square meters was discovered. meters, on the territory of which they found the last shelter of about 700 people and 350 horses. The remains were collected and burned in November 1812. In Soviet times, the territory at the burial site was landscaped. Obelisks were placed here, paths were cleared. Later, a wooden cross was erected.
The Second World War added to the sad list of burials. For example, about 139 thousand Soviet soldiers were killed on the Karelian Isthmus, and about 0.3 million people died in the Great Patriotic War. The Finns lost about 87 thousand soldiers. Of these, about 60 thousand died in 1941-1944. Due to the fact that the fighting took place in the forests, there is still more than one mass grave on the territory of the isthmus, which requires discovery based on historical data, as well as proper care.
Today, numerous search teams are working in the Russian Federation, some of which have united in a special union. Many of those participating in the excavations say that soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War are still lying in the forests and fields of the country. The identity of some of them can be established, while the rest are buried in mass graves with the provision of appropriate honors. According to separate studies, as a result of military and other actions in the USSR during the Great Patriotic War, about 26.6 million people died.
In addition, we must not forget about the victims of peacetime, which include those who died during the Stalinist repressions. In many cities of Russia and the CIS countries, monuments to those who were shot in the late 40s have been opened today. For example, more than 100 places of execution were discovered near Voronezh, and 998 (!) People were buried. Near Irkutsk, several ditches were filled with dead people, in Vorkuta - mines and dumps, near St. Petersburg - a whole wasteland (Levashovo).
