Graves in America. Arlington National Cemetery, USA
US National Cemetery
On November 22, 1963, shots rang out in Dallas, Texas, fatally wounding John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America. Half an hour after the shots were fired, the president died, and a shocked America plunged into deep mourning. John Kennedy's body was transported to Washington, and then the coffin was placed on the same gun carriage on which he committed his death in 1945. last way Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and was transported from the White House to the Capitol to the stern beat of drums. Day and night, an endless stream of people came here through the Rotunda Hall - congressmen and farmers, workers and housewives, students and employees... The late president’s wife with her son and daughter, relatives and new president USA - Lyndon Johnson.
Three days later, John Kennedy's funeral took place. A platoon walked ahead of the funeral procession Marine Corps, six horses carried a carriage with a coffin, followed by Jacqueline Kennedy, the brothers of the late president and high-ranking representatives from different countries. The bells rang dully, and hundreds of thousands of people bowed their heads in mournful silence.
John Kennedy's final resting place was Arlington Cemetery, located in Washington on the other side of the Potomac River. The President was buried on the hillside - right opposite the massive cemetery gates, and the Eternal Flame was lit above his grave.
The history of Arlington Cemetery dates back to before the American Civil War. The land on which it is now located was bought in 1778 by John Parke Custis, the adopted son of George Washington, the future first president of the United States. On his 1,100-acre plantation, he built a house with six heavy columns, called it Arlington House, and built a memorial in which he housed the world's largest collection of artifacts related to George Washington. Three years later, John Parke Custis died, and George Washington adopted the youngest of his four children: a son and a daughter.
The boy was named George Washington Park Custis. From him Mary Ann Randolph Custis was born, who later turned out to be the heir to the Arlington House estate. She married General Robert E. Lee and lived with him on the estate for more than 30 years. When the threat of civil war became imminent, the Lee family left the estate. The Union of American States captured Arlington House because, bordering Washington, it had a strategically advantageous position. Brigadier General Montgomery Meigs, commander of Unionist troops in the Arlington area, had a big grudge against the Southerners, and he urgently needed a place to bury his dead soldiers. He convinced the federal government to set aside 200 acres of Lee's estate for a cemetery, and the estate soon began burying wounded men who were dying at a nearby military hospital. It is said that the first Confederate soldier to be buried in Arlington Cemetery was in 1864. That same year, the federal government confiscated the land and officially turned it over to the military for a cemetery, and General Montgomery Meigs ordered burials near the house itself so that the former owners would not be able to return after the war.
There was a very curious reason for the confiscation of land: during the Civil War, a law was invented according to which the owners of estates in the territories of the rebel states occupied by the northerners had to appear in person to pay taxes. The Washington-Lees did not appear and did not pay taxes. It is not known how widely this law was generally applied, but in in this case The decision to confiscate Arlington House was made on the initiative of the Minister of Defense.
After the war, General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Southern army during the Civil War, found himself without a livelihood with his wife and seven children and accepted the position of president of Washington College in Lexington. The hypothetical rights to the Custis estate passed to his eldest son, George Washington Custis Lee, who also served in the Civil War on the side of the South. He accused the federal government of illegally invading his land and won his case in the Supreme Court. After this, in 1883, he agreed to sell the national military cemetery home country for $150,000 and gave up the idea of living in Arlington House.
After the Civil War, Arlington Cemetery was used only for the burial of the poor and unknown persons, but now it has become an honorable burial place for veterans and their families. While neither the oldest nor the largest, it is nevertheless the most famous memorial complex USA. 230,000 American veterans and their families are buried here on 612 acres of land. From Pierre Lanfant, George Washington's aide-de-camp, to the servicemen killed in Operation Desert Storm, Arlington Memorial Cemetery contains the remains of veterans from every military conflict in which the United States has been involved.
Only those killed in action, with 20 years of military service or certain military decorations, and their spouses and family members may be buried in a U.S. National Cemetery. An honor guard carries a covered coffin national flag, and during the burial a gun salute is fired and the bugler sounds the all-clear.
However for a long time Americans did not bury their black heroes in Arlington Cemetery. Only 80 years after the First World War, the command of the American army finally decided to honor the black soldier, who, with his heroism, earned a place in the country's national cemetery.
The 369th Infantry Regiment, consisting of black soldiers, was transferred to the French command by the Americans, who considered that the Harlem Hell Warriors were a disgrace to the American army. In May 1918, Sergeant Henry Johnson repelled an attack by 24 German soldiers who had attacked a forward observation post. He had only grenades, a rifle and a homemade machete, but he saved his comrade N. Roberts, who was attacked by three Germans, and forced the rest of the enemy soldiers to retreat.
Henry Johnson was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for his bravery, but was never awarded the award in the United States because of the color of his skin. The American nation did not recognize the feat of Sergeant G. Johnson, and in 1929 he died in poverty. Even now, the Army command is reluctant to award him its highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor. When it turned out that Henry Johnson was buried in Arlington Cemetery, American politicians (including Senator Hillary Clinton) launched a campaign to ensure that the brave sergeant was at least posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. But the Pentagon agreed to award him only the Distinguished Service Cross.
Numerous veteran and civilian organizations and groups hold memorial services in the cemetery's marble amphitheater. From time to time, new monuments are erected at the cemetery in memory of special categories of military personnel and veterans buried here. However, memorial monuments are erected at Arlington Cemetery not only to honor soldiers who participated in combat operations. On February 1, 2003, an American reusable aircraft crashed upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. spaceship"Colombia". All seven crew members died, and although the investigation into this tragedy is still far from over, America has already decided to perpetuate the memory of its heroes. NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said: "The memorial in our homeland will serve as a reminder of the ideals of the Columbia crew: integrity, courage and the spirit of discovery."
A memorial in their honor was erected near the monument, dedicated to memory dead crew space shuttle"Challenger". This disaster, which occurred in 1986, claimed the lives of seven American astronauts.
About four million people a year visit Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier maintains a constant vigil, changing every hour. The dedication ceremony for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was performed in 1921 by President Harding. The stone tomb containing the body of an unidentified World War I soldier buried on Veterans Day in 1921 is only the visible part of the memorial. And under the slabs adjacent to the tomb there are burials of unknown people American soldiers who died during World War II, Korean and vietnam war. Twice a year, on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the President of the United States.
Let me make a few comments to the very excellent answer of my colleague, Yan Levchenko.
To begin with, it is necessary to distinguish between two types of cemeteries - a city cemetery and a rural churchyard.
In the first case, fences appeared, of course, already in the 19th century. In a wonderful time of romanticization and glorification of death. Architectural European motifs (including in the field of memorial sculpture), as described by Yan Levchenko, were very quickly adopted by representatives Russian nobility. Therefore, on visual sources of this time (paintings by artists - for example, Savitsky K. “Dirge on the 9th day” 1885, Golovanov “Gogol’s Grave” 1852, “Tomb of F.A. Haaz” Unknown artist, early 20th century) you can find the fences of the most different forms. The main trendsetter of that time was the Vvedenskoye (German) cemetery in Moscow, from where fashionable trends in the field of the culture of grief and mourning were spread and adopted.
At the same time, a completely different atmosphere reigns in rural churchyards - the only “decoration” of the grave remains towels, glob crosses, dominos, etc. There are practically no forged fences until the 1900s (A. Savrasov, “Rural Cemetery,” 1887; A. Korzukhin, “Wake at the Village Cemetery,” 1865; V. Prushkovsky, “Bringing to the Cemetery,” 1892). ).
The main reason for this difference is that fencing is expensive. The first such fences began to appear in rural churchyards at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and were made of wood. As evidenced by photographs of this time. For example, (). As one can judge from these sources, this practice is very rare.
Fencing became widespread in the 1920s and 1930s. And this has nothing to do with the “struggle for space” and some kind of “fencing off from others.” This is absolutely accurate. In order to understand this, you just need to be familiar with the peasant “culture” of that time. The cemetery is the main meeting place for numerous relatives - it is the central rural symbolic point. No division and struggle around the land for burials in Soviet era it didn’t exist, and it doesn’t exist now. “Division” and “struggle for space” is a phenomenon of urban funeral culture and has been since the 90s.
The explanation from “folklore optics” also seems to me not entirely consistent. It's more like a mechanism feedback- beliefs appeared because fences appeared - including the idea that it is necessary or not necessary to close the door on the fence “so that the dead person can walk.” After all, in the 19th century there were no fences, and the “pantheon” of beliefs had already been formed. Or the fact that fences are painted blue is due to the availability of paint and its theft since the 1950s. And now it’s “the inertia of tradition.”
There are no rational reasons for the spread and growth of fences yet. Initially, as already mentioned, this was a status copy of the “fashion” of urban necropolises. Which, in turn, came to us from Europe through the Vvedenskoye cemetery. Which brings us much closer to that focus.
This is indirectly confirmed by the respondents’ data (though a little more late period- 50 years) with whom I worked: the fences were specially welded in the workshops of the factories where, for example, the deceased worked; in the carpentry workshops of collective farms, and often they even stole from the old graves of nobles. Fences were made from old beds, iron, beams, etc. Why this was done - not a single respondent ever gave any explanation. I just wanted “to have it earlier with the nobles and more beautifully.”
Only one point seems paradoxical, which also calls into question the thesis about the “fencing of space” - with every decade, judging by visual sources, the fences grew in size - and this trend was noticeable back in the 19th century. That is, fencing, as a process, occurred gradually - every year there were more and more fences. And why European tradition the fence stopped at the decorative level, but ours has acquired the scale of hypertrophy - here there is already something to think about.
Finally, a fence at a cemetery in Norway, 1906.
memento Mori
Most Americans think about funerals while they are still alive. In a newspaper or on a website you can see advertisements from funeral homes (in English: Funeral house, an analogue of Russian agencies funeral services), who offer to purchase a place in the cemetery in advance with a significant discount. Private owners can also sell a place in a cemetery; if the cemetery refuses to purchase it, they can sell it themselves. Afterwards, a re-burial can be made at the site of the existing grave. Sold and family crypts. The price of mausoleums depends on its size and location. The cost of the crypt starts from 30 thousand dollars.
In this country, it is indeed customary to buy a cemetery plot in advance, since this purchase is expensive. The state can only pay the relatives of the deceased $250, and only after receiving a death certificate issued by the funeral home. Only families in need can receive the money, so the majority of Americans pay for their own funerals. Insurance payment, some time after the death of a citizen, can cover funeral costs if the death was not due to suicide.
The Protestant ethic of equality is not accessible to everyone
Funerals in the USA are a serious matter, so Americans often choose a funeral home during their lifetime, which helps book or buy a place in the desired graveyard. Funeral home specialists contact the cemetery administration to purchase or reserve a burial plot. America's churchyards are mainly located in private property. The land is either purchased or leased from the state. Therefore, prices for burials can vary significantly, but in any case the price of land in a cemetery is very high.
Each cemetery has its own traditions of decorating burials. On American cemeteries we will not find fences, massive monuments, earthen embankments, tall green spaces and colorful flowers. It is customary to install the same low marble monuments, white crosses or granite tablets. Wreaths are made from spruce branches. The spirit of equality hovers over the graves, so it is necessary to maintain the stylistic unity of the burials. These issues are also within the competence of the funeral home staff.
Funeral home
Funeral homes, as we have already said, completely take care of relatives about burial. There are quite a lot of funeral homes in America, most often they are located near cemeteries. For this reason, the choice of a funeral agency also depends on the choice of burial place. Employees funeral home take care of all the hassle associated with preparing the ceremony. After the morgue, the body is taken to the funeral home, and all further manipulations with the body are performed by its employees. They choose a funeral hall, dress the body, and even send death notices to friends and relatives of the deceased. Of course, the farewell script is drawn up taking into account the religion of the deceased. A funeral in America is not a sad event, but a calm farewell to a soul going to better world. Instead of loud lamentations and tears at funerals, one can often find restrained grief.
The body of the deceased remains in the farewell hall for 1-2 days. Usually the hall for the farewell ceremony is located in the funeral home itself, or in the hall at the crematorium, morgue, or less often at the temple of which the deceased was a parishioner. At the request of relatives, farewell can take place in the home of the deceased. For example, residents of the southeastern part of the United States still prefer home farewells. It is customary to decorate the room in the farewell hall with fresh flowers, mainly roses.
Traditionally, prices for funerals that include burial in a cemetery start from 10-12 thousand dollars.
Cremation costs from $700. Due to the low cost of cremation, this burial method is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Environmental activists prefer so-called “green cremation,” which uses a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide instead of fire.
Funeral services can also be arranged by a funeral home. There are no standards for a funeral dinner. Usually relatives arrange a buffet for those closest to them.
Funeral homes in the USA are very profitable business. Strengthens it existing tradition delegate all work on organizing the funeral ceremony to the employees of the funeral agency. For this reason government agencies produce brochures explaining to Americans that they can save money on funerals by not using a funeral home. After all, when contacting an agency, the price can increase by 100%. Nevertheless, independent organization funerals are not very popular in the United States.
Funeral monopoly
In the US funeral business, like in any other, there is a monopoly. SCI Corporation, founded in Texas in 1962, is the largest provider of funeral services. The company owns 400 cemeteries in 43 states in America, Canada and Puerto Rico, and also owns 1,500 funeral homes. The corporation has 13,000 employees and an annual turnover of $2 billion. The company is actively buying cemeteries, funeral homes and crematoria, without advertising its activities. Acquired assets retain their former names. Often, the diversity of names does not indicate the actual diversity of service providers.
Today, some cemeteries even have their own line of souvenirs, if there is a grave in the cemetery famous person. City holidays and picnics are organized at cemeteries. People go for a morning jog along the paths of cemeteries. The crypt can be rented for a photo shoot or video filming.
As a rule, there is no financial crisis in the funeral services industry. You can purchase a cemetery plot for $5,000 or pay cremation services for $700 - the choice is yours. Only one thing is indisputable - everyone will need the services of a funeral home.
In the suburbs of Washington, there is one of the most famous cemeteries in the United States, where military personnel have been buried since the war between the North and South. Arlington national cemetery occupies 3 sq. km. It is still in effect today; approximately 20-30 people honored with this honor are buried every day. It is estimated that the cemetery will be full and closed for burials by 2025.
The cemetery was founded in 1865 to bury soldiers killed in the Civil War. As before, mostly military personnel are buried here, but there are exceptions to every rule - people who have special medals and services to the state can be buried here. For example, here is the grave of the famous jazz musician Glenn Miller, although his body was never found. Two presidents, senators, judges, astronauts, and actors found peace in Arlington. There is even a polar explorer and a heart surgeon. You really have to be an outstanding citizen to get a place here. The main contingent is the military (active or retired), as well as their families. In 2001, the US Congress introduced a rule prohibiting the burial of people who committed crimes in Arlington Cemetery. serious crimes which are punishable by life imprisonment or death penalty. This comes after it was revealed that US military veteran Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for carrying out a horrific terrorist attack, has the right to be buried in the cemetery.
The majority of burials have identical tombstones, the only exceptions being the graves of particularly important personalities and old burials. According to the rules established by the cemetery administration, relatives have the right to indicate on the marble slab the symbol of the deceased’s religion. IN currently 47 such symbols have been officially approved, including the pentacle, which is the main sign of the neo-pagan religion Wicca. The tombstones are arranged in such a way that from any vantage point they form clear, straight lines.
Two US presidents are buried at Arlington Cemetery - William Taft and John Kennedy. Typically, presidents are buried in places that are memorable to them. But after the assassination of John Kennedy, his widow decided that he should be buried in a place where he could be visited by the citizens of the country who loved their president with all their hearts. His wife Jacqueline Kennedy and brothers Bob and Ted Kennedy rested next to the president. An eternal flame burns on the grave.
There are signs nearby calling for respect for the deceased family, so everyone approaches the president’s grave in silence, humbly bowing their heads. The only thing that doesn't stop is the sound of camera shutters.
Despite great amount tourists, the cemetery is quite quiet. Sometimes rifle shots are heard, which indicate the burial of a deceased statesman.
Often on back side gravestone write the name of the person buried.
The very first photo shows a beautiful building with columns at the top of the hill. This is Arlington House, an estate that formerly belonged to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his wife. During Civil War the lands were confiscated and set aside for a cemetery. However, after the Civil War, the Supreme Court returned the mansion to the owners, but who wants to live in a cemetery? General Lee sold it to the administration for $150,000. If you go up to the mansion, you can admire a beautiful view of Washington. The Arlington House has now been renovated and turned into a memorial to General Lee. You can go inside and explore the rooms and memorable exhibits.
In the old part of the cemetery you can see old monuments, which are very different from the more modern identical tombstones made of light marble.
He comes to the cemetery very a large number of tourists, but they scatter around the territory and behave quite quietly.
Despite the hilly and rather winding landscape, all burials are carried out in straight lines.
On the territory of the cemetery there is a Memorial Amphitheater made of white marble, where memorial services are held on Veterans and Memorial Days with the participation of the President of the United States.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier adjoins the Amphitheater on the south side. The main tombstone is an unknown soldier from the First World War, the three slabs in front of it are soldiers from the Second World War, the Vietnamese and the Korean Wars. A sentry stands near the grave, summer period Once every hour a rather curious changing ceremony takes place. A military man who takes up his post takes 21 steps every 21 seconds for the entire hour. This is a symbolic number for military people, because 21 rifle salvos are the highest honor during the burial ceremony of a serviceman. Military personnel coming to the grave remove their shoulder straps so as not to offend the memory unknown soldiers, whose military ranks cannot be installed.
There are a huge number of monuments and memorials in the cemetery. And for the convenience of visitors, there are signs everywhere to the two most popular places to visit - Kennedy's Tomb and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Although the graves are located quite closely in relation to each other, the cemetery area seems quite open.
On fresh burial install a sign. The marble tombstone will appear after the allotted time for the soil to shrink.
There is a tradition of planting memorial trees in honor of individual military units or Navy ships. These memorial plaques are installed near the trees.
And this is what delivery of the coffin with the body of the deceased to the burial site looks like.
The cemetery is located in the state of Virginia, but getting there from Washington is very easy: from the Lincoln Memorial you need to cross the Potomac River along the Arlington Memorial Bridge, which is also called the Bridge of Reconciliation of the North and South. You can also use public transport - the Arlington Cemetery metro station on the Washington DC Blue Line is located nearby. Convenient parking is provided for motorists. Entrance to the cemetery is free, but for a fee you can book a tour or take an open bus that runs throughout the territory.
