The Alphabet of St. Petersburg Necropolises. Ships, Skulls, Angels

Each gravestone is a detective story, where the person's name is just the beginning, and the rest requires decoding.
The book "The Alphabet of St. Petersburg Necropolises. Ships, Skulls, Angels" is an attempt to understand the symbolism of necropolises from different... eras: pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and modern. After all, gravestones reflect not only the fates of individual people but also the cultural, spiritual, and historical traditions of society. By studying their symbolism, we restore connections with past generations and better understand how perceptions of death and memory have changed. Necropolistics helps us see cemeteries not only as places of burial but also as peculiar historical chronicles that have preserved the spirit of the time.
In this book, we will try to decipher what the images and elements on monuments from different periods mean: pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and modern, depending on the context. Photographs from cemeteries in St. Petersburg and the region will help you see what it’s all about and draw your own conclusions.
You will learn:
- What types of crosses exist, what they mean, and which one is correct?
- Why were gravestones altered and how to recognize it?
- Why do canonical angels not "grieve"?
- Which St. Petersburg effigy helps one get married?
- Why is a skull on a gravestone often not a symbol of death?
About the author: Elena Vasilieva is a necropolistic researcher who has studied the old cemeteries of St. Petersburg for many years and is the author of the blog on Zen "Herald of the Necropolist".
"Elena Vasilieva's book is a unique gift for those interested in historical necropolises but do not know how to approach this topic, as information is quite limited, often contradictory, and difficult to verify. Here, concepts that any cemetery enthusiast encounters are described in simple and understandable language, along with illustrative examples in the form of excellent photographs from St. Petersburg necropolises." - Victoria Karpicheva, accredited guide in St. Petersburg, author of tours of St. Petersburg necropolises, scientific editor of this book.
"Breaking the whole into parts helps capture what usually remains off-camera. This technique is often used in literature: for example, we know many books about specific districts or even buildings - peculiar "parts" of St. Petersburg. The "Alphabet of Necropolises" inherits from such books and tells what urban necropolises consist of - and no, it's not just gravestones and graves, but also symbols, famous personalities, and architectural details. The latter, by the way, often resemble details of houses - the best proof that cemeteries and the city around them are more closely connected than we tend to think." - Margarita Nikolaeva, researcher of Russian cemeteries, creator of the educational project whatiscemetery, author of the book "Necropolises of St. Petersburg. Adam's Heads, Cholera Cemeteries, and Thunderstone".
"Due to my profession, I simply must be able to read the symbolism of gravestones. Novosibirsk, of course, cannot boast of preserved ancient necropolises, but we also have many interesting finds. You discover some unknown element and throw yourself into the search for information, gathering pieces bit by bit, and here - joy! A whole alphabet! A necessary, long-awaited book that covers everything, and even more, about memory symbols, with examples from St. Petersburg and references. A true working manual for a necropolistic researcher, and I think that curious people interested in history and architecture will find Elena Vasilieva's book engaging and useful for everyone!" - Lydia Koroleva, local historian, necropolistic researcher, tour guide, and methodologist of the Museum of World Funeral Culture in Novosibirsk.
"This book is an unusual guide to the world of cemeteries and necropolises. Written in the form of a peculiar "cemetery primer", it reveals the history and mysteries of burials from "A" to "Z". Wonderful photographs bring the pages to life, allowing a detailed look at gravestones, sculptures, and architecture. The alphabetical approach makes the book light and engaging to read, while the abundance of visual material allows readers to literally immerse themselves in the atmosphere of these places of memory." - Lisa Svetlova, photography theorist, founder of the scientific-popular laboratory for studying dying, death, and immortality big death lab, author of the book "What Photography Remains Silent About: How Modern Postmortems Help Us Live".