Narva Siivertski Cemetery Neglected, Residents Demand Action

Narva's Siivertski Cemetery has remained completely unmaintained this summer: grass is waist-high in places and access to some graves is nearly impossible. City officials told residents there is no funding, but following intervention by the newspaper, Deputy Mayor Maria Šur promised to request additional budget funds for cemetery restoration.

Narva's Siivertski Cemetery has seen no maintenance work this summer, grass is waist-high in places, paths are invisible and accessing some graves would require a scythe. Concerned Narva resident Margarita turned to a local newspaper after city officials told her the municipality has no plans to restore the cemetery because there is no money.

Two cemeteries, two standards

Margarita notes that the contrast is particularly stark with the nearby German-Finnish cemetery, which is always well-maintained and kept in order. "There is deterioration, high grass and overgrowth. We very much hope that those responsible will pay attention to the problem and restore Siivertski Cemetery to proper condition," her statement reads.

The woman had previously called the city's parks department, where Natalia Magerramova told her that the city is not responsible because there is no money. "If this is city territory, isn't the city obligated to monitor its condition? Or do we operate on the principle: if I want to, I do it, if I don't want to, I don't?" asks Margarita.

City promises to assess situation

The editorial team sent the resident's question to both Mayor Katri Raik and City Council Chair Mihhail Stalnukhin. The City Council office forwarded the question to the city administration, so the response was provided by Narva Deputy Mayor Maria Šur.

Šur explained that the same city district is home to three cemeteries: Peetri Cemetery, Siivertski Cemetery and the German-Finnish Cemetery. Peetri Cemetery is the most visited. "Peetri Cemetery and Siivertski Cemetery are old, essentially inactive cemeteries not used for new burials. For this reason, their maintenance is not organized on the same scale or model as active city cemeteries," the deputy mayor said.

Additional budget request coming

Šur promised that following the complaint received, the city will request additional budget funds to assess the condition of the grounds and organise necessary work including mowing, brush removal, assessment of hazardous trees and rubbish collection. The exact sum will be determined after assessing the scope of work, after which the city will decide how and when to carry out the work.

It should be noted that in Estonia, cemetery management is regulated by the Cemeteries Act and local regulations. Narva currently lacks a separate document regulating cemetery use and maintenance. Even old cemeteries and those closed to new burials are subject to requirements for preserving the site's designated purpose and showing respect for burial places.