A group of people who live near the Jewish cemetery located in Buiucani district of Chisinau barred the access of representatives of the municipality who intervened to start cleanup works in the old part of the cemetery. Contacted by IPN, director of the municipal funeral company “Combinatul servicii funerare” Ludmila Botan said the cleanup works are carried out in connection with the Easter holidays.

The protesters expressed their concern that the old tombstones will be removed in order to prepare new burial places and that, after a gate is installed in the old part of the cemetery, the funeral processions will pass by the internal yard of their block, but they do not want this.  

Ludmila Botan assured that the gate will be used to collect waste only. “I do not understand why the people protest as we will build the gate to collect waste and try to explain this to them. We want to set up a gate that will always be closed and will be used only when necessary, to take waste away,” she stated.

The company’s director also said that vehicles haven’t had access to the old part of the cemetery to collect waste for tens of years. The request to clean that part of the cemetery was made by the Jewish community, which pledged to help clean up free, together with the Buiucani district head’s office.

The Jewish cemetery is 12 hectares in area. Access to about 5 ha is restricted.