Zakharova called the situation with the Russian cemetery in France “inhuman”

The situation around the cemetery in the city of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois, where Russians are buried, including figures of national culture, representatives of the Russian emigration, is shameful for France. This statement was made by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova in her Telegram channel.

“This is some kind of Necrophilia-2023. The shame of blatant inhuman immorality, wrote she.

According to Zakharova, the French authorities “decided to take revenge” on the graves of the Russian cemetery. She also said that it is “pointless to ask Paris” about the reasons for the termination of cooperation with the Russian Federation on the cemetery in Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois, since the French authorities “can hardly find at least some adequate answer.”

Zakharova admitted that in this way Paris sends a signal to “everyone who has come in large numbers.” She turned to the Russians who had previously left the country.

“Remember one thing: if anyone accepts you, it’s the Motherland,” Zakharova emphasized, adding that in Russia they are always ready to “understand and forgive,” even when they “strongly disagree.”

Earlier today, the Russian Embassy in France expressed concern over the refusal of the authorities of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois to accept funds from Russia for the maintenance of the Russian part of the local cemetery. The diplomatic mission called the situation unacceptable. They also clarified that so far there is no talk of demolishing the graves, the issue of payment has been postponed. The embassy called on the mayor’s office and the public of the French city to cooperate with the Russian side to resolve the problem.

The day before, on January 15, the newspaper Le Monde, citing the chairman of the committee for the care of Russian Orthodox burials, Nikolai Lopukhin, wrote that the authorities of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois refused to accept funds from Russia for the maintenance of the Russian part of the local cemetery. As noted by the publication, the suspension of funding threatens the future of the Russian part of the cemetery – 62% of the total area.

Lopukhin expressed concern about the dilapidated state of the burials. According to him, 45% of the graves need to be restored, but Moscow had to abandon these plans due to the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. The interlocutor of the newspaper added that the committee’s funds would be enough to rent plots for up to 10 years.

Figures of national culture, as well as representatives of the Russian emigration, are buried in Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois. In particular, we are talking about writers Ivan Bunin and Nadezhda Teffi, poets Dmitry Merezhkovsky and Zinaida Gippius, ballerinas Matilda Kshesinskaya and Olga Preobrazhenskaya, artist Konstantin Korovin, and ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.