Invisible public spaces: The role of cemeteries in urban planning and development in Moscow

Abstract

ABSTRACT The role of urban cemeteries is highly context-dependent and varies greatly across cities and countries. Despite the growing body of literature on the cemeteries’ potential for urban development, Eastern Europe, and in particular Russia, remains underrepresented. Seeking to fill this empirical gap, this paper brings forward the case of cemeteries in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Using the concept of public space as a theoretical lens, I aim to explore the extent to which cemeteries are envisioned as public spaces in planning policies and development practices in Moscow. The study builds on a critical qualitative analysis of relevant policy documents and semi-structured interviews with experts, supplemented by field observations. The empirical material is analyzed through the prism of four dimensions: liminal, spiritual, commercial and multifunctional. The findings show that planning policies and development practices view cemeteries primarily in terms of disposal provision. Regarded as an “unspectacular” part of the urban environment, cemeteries are excluded from the authoritarian programs of improvement of public spaces in the city. However, Moscow cemeteries have a range of qualities which make them valuable—although invisible at the policy level—public spaces with a multifaceted role.