I have a huge respect on cemeteries, never to step on a persons grave was a thing I learnt already as a kid. It wasn't very obvious that I would start photographing graveyards, even to enter one without knowing who is resting there had been weird for me. Only while spending longer times abroad, being bored and wondering aimlessly around the city I ended up exploring graveyards and very soon, as I was often carrying a camera with me, taking photos.
Soon, every time I visited a new country or interesting city, I wanted to see a cemetery. They all have a very unique atmosphere and oddly enough, you see the reflection of the society, the living people of the city, on their relations on the dead ones.
Soon, every time I visited a new country or interesting city, I wanted to see a cemetery. They all have a very unique atmosphere and oddly enough, you see the reflection of the society, the living people of the city, on their relations on the dead ones.
Père Lachaise, Paris
Visiting a friend who lived close to Père Lachaise and feeling a bit bored, I decided to go and look for the grave of Jim Morrison, but kept getting lost and never found it. Instead I started to peak into these little chapels to see how they are from inside and got very attracted by the glass mosaic windows and cobwebs. Pictures taken on March 2008.
Visiting a friend who lived close to Père Lachaise and feeling a bit bored, I decided to go and look for the grave of Jim Morrison, but kept getting lost and never found it. Instead I started to peak into these little chapels to see how they are from inside and got very attracted by the glass mosaic windows and cobwebs. Pictures taken on March 2008.
Monumentale del Verano, Roma
Peaceful and beautiful place to escape in tourist packed Roma. Pictures are taken in February 2009, bright air and sharp shadows, but yet how great it was to escape from grayness of Berlin. And, they had cats, lots of them!
Peaceful and beautiful place to escape in tourist packed Roma. Pictures are taken in February 2009, bright air and sharp shadows, but yet how great it was to escape from grayness of Berlin. And, they had cats, lots of them!
Серафимовское and Смоленские, Sankt Peterburg
Cemeteries reflects the society, at least I can see the Sankt Peterburgs graveyards representing my idea of Russia much more than the city.
I learn that Russians have a tradition to gather to the grave on the day when loved one passed away to have a drink with friends and relatives. They have little benches and tables next to the graves. (Sometimes it goes a bit too wild and that´s why many people don´t like this habit.)
Cemeteries reflects the society, at least I can see the Sankt Peterburgs graveyards representing my idea of Russia much more than the city.
I learn that Russians have a tradition to gather to the grave on the day when loved one passed away to have a drink with friends and relatives. They have little benches and tables next to the graves. (Sometimes it goes a bit too wild and that´s why many people don´t like this habit.)
Pictures are from two graveyards; Серафимовское and Смоленские кладбища (soldiers who died on Kursk-accident are buried on Serafimovskoye).
I shot these pictures on black and white film on summer 2010 but lost all the scanned files (my hard drive broke while I was editing these photos). These pics are the result of experimenting with my home scanner; that´s where the weird stripe effect comes from.
I shot these pictures on black and white film on summer 2010 but lost all the scanned files (my hard drive broke while I was editing these photos). These pics are the result of experimenting with my home scanner; that´s where the weird stripe effect comes from.
Vanha hautausmaa, Eura
I remember this old graveyard from my childhood. We went there once with my mother, summer time, but I never really learned the route, since it’s very far from our house. This was maybe third time I visited there and it was as in my memories, like a little isle floating on the fields. Very modest and well maintained, it has it’s own spirit comparing to other cemeteries I have recently visited. Pictures were taken on summer 2010.
I remember this old graveyard from my childhood. We went there once with my mother, summer time, but I never really learned the route, since it’s very far from our house. This was maybe third time I visited there and it was as in my memories, like a little isle floating on the fields. Very modest and well maintained, it has it’s own spirit comparing to other cemeteries I have recently visited. Pictures were taken on summer 2010.
Kerepesi temető, Budapest
Normally, when walking around at a cemetery, I feel relaxed enjoying the silence and beauty of the place. This time it was quite the contrary, I was a bit scared and empty grass areas created a creepy atmosphere. I found an abandoned chapel from a little wild forest that was growing on the graveyard. Taken on January 2011.
Normally, when walking around at a cemetery, I feel relaxed enjoying the silence and beauty of the place. This time it was quite the contrary, I was a bit scared and empty grass areas created a creepy atmosphere. I found an abandoned chapel from a little wild forest that was growing on the graveyard. Taken on January 2011.
Novo groblje, Beograd
Beautiful cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia. Influences from Secession and Soviet style modern architecture, that you can see around the city. Some people have already bought their places, big black stones are standing next to the empty graves and waiting for the names to be carved on with golden letters. Taken on January 2011.
Beautiful cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia. Influences from Secession and Soviet style modern architecture, that you can see around the city. Some people have already bought their places, big black stones are standing next to the empty graves and waiting for the names to be carved on with golden letters. Taken on January 2011.
Friedhof Grunewald-Forst, Berlin
Lovely small graveyard on the forest area of Grunewald. Until 1927 it was only for those died by their own hands. They were not allowed to be buried on the normal graveyards because suicide was a sin and they would not go to heaven. Singer (from The Velvet Underground) Nico, and her mother are buried here. I visited there on spring 2011.
Lovely small graveyard on the forest area of Grunewald. Until 1927 it was only for those died by their own hands. They were not allowed to be buried on the normal graveyards because suicide was a sin and they would not go to heaven. Singer (from The Velvet Underground) Nico, and her mother are buried here. I visited there on spring 2011.
Parochial-Friedhof, Berlin
This is one of my favorite cemeteries in Berlin. In the summertime it is growing wildly, now sleeping under a light snow cover.
This is one of my favorite cemeteries in Berlin. In the summertime it is growing wildly, now sleeping under a light snow cover.
The Melbourne General Cemetery, Melbourne
Open daily 9 am - 5 pm. Mourning during the office hours only.
Open daily 9 am - 5 pm. Mourning during the office hours only.
Pennyweight Flat Cemetery, Castlemaine
On my very busy trip to Australia on 2012, I wanted to get outside of Melbourne just to have a change to see some kangaroos and rural landscape. By a random choice I ended in Castlemaine, took a direction from the only map I could find from this small town and start walking. After a while, just by accident, I found the most heartbreaking cemetery I ever visited.
Following text is from the sign standing next to the hill:
"This site is a rare surviving example of a Gold Rush cemetery. Shortage of water, contaminated water, poor diet and frequent accidents took a heavy toll of those who flocked to the diggings in search of a fortune.
Those children who accompanied their parents and babies born on the gold-fields were particularly vulnerable to the harsh conditions. Between 1852 - 57 about 200 bodies, including children and babies, were buried at the Pennyweight Flat on the fringe of the Mt. Alexander gold workings.
A pennyweight is a very small measure of gold, no wealth was sacrificed by establishing the cemetery here. The site was so barren it would not be disturbed by fossickers or miners.
Today's peaceful landscape, including the grey-box trees which began to grow just after the cemetery's establishment looks very different from the swarming activity of what was once the richest alluvial (surface) gold-field in the world. So wealthy were the Mt. Alexander diggings that stories of gold 'there for taking' spread round the world, prompting one of the great mass-migrations of the nineteenth century.
Often unrecorded and unconfined, buried in shallow graves, these fossickers and their families represented the coming free Australia. "
On my very busy trip to Australia on 2012, I wanted to get outside of Melbourne just to have a change to see some kangaroos and rural landscape. By a random choice I ended in Castlemaine, took a direction from the only map I could find from this small town and start walking. After a while, just by accident, I found the most heartbreaking cemetery I ever visited.
Following text is from the sign standing next to the hill:
"This site is a rare surviving example of a Gold Rush cemetery. Shortage of water, contaminated water, poor diet and frequent accidents took a heavy toll of those who flocked to the diggings in search of a fortune.
Those children who accompanied their parents and babies born on the gold-fields were particularly vulnerable to the harsh conditions. Between 1852 - 57 about 200 bodies, including children and babies, were buried at the Pennyweight Flat on the fringe of the Mt. Alexander gold workings.
A pennyweight is a very small measure of gold, no wealth was sacrificed by establishing the cemetery here. The site was so barren it would not be disturbed by fossickers or miners.
Today's peaceful landscape, including the grey-box trees which began to grow just after the cemetery's establishment looks very different from the swarming activity of what was once the richest alluvial (surface) gold-field in the world. So wealthy were the Mt. Alexander diggings that stories of gold 'there for taking' spread round the world, prompting one of the great mass-migrations of the nineteenth century.
Often unrecorded and unconfined, buried in shallow graves, these fossickers and their families represented the coming free Australia. "
