At most 5,000 burials are carried out annually at the cemeteries of Chisinau. Out of the ten cemeteries managed by the municipal burial services enterprise “Combinatul Servicii Funerare”, burials take place mainly on the territory of Saint Lazarus Cemetery. Due to the lack of available space, the leasing of burial plots at the Central Cemetery located on Armeneasca St was stopped, with some exceptions.
In an answer to an inquiry made by IPN, the administration of the municipal burial services enterprise said that plots of land intended for burials at the Central Cemetery are distributed to people who got service and military awards (Order of the Republic or Order of Stephen the Great, or state awards of the USSR similar to these). First-degree relatives of persons buried at the cemetery can also reserve plots at the Central Cemetery, based on documents confirming the ties of kinship. Where appropriate, burial of relatives in the same graves is permitted.
Also, within the limits of the available places, at the proposal of particular public institutions, the mayor general approves the distribution or concession of places for the burial of outstanding personalities. According to the plot leasing regulations, such an application is submitted to the responsible bodies by paying the fees set by the Chisinau Municipal Council. The concession is put on a register and a permit is issued. In the cemeteries of Chisinau, the persons are buried on authorized places.
As for citizens’ requests to cremate deceased persons, this procedure is popular, but, due to the absence of a crematorium in the Republic of Moldova, the people ask for such a service to be performed outside the country.
