The Chisinau Municipal Council on October 31 approved the extension of the Saint Lazarus Cemetery located on Doina St. For the purpose, 37 hectares will be purchased from the Gratiesti mayor’s office for 40 million lei. The money will be transferred to the local authorities of Gratiesti until 2022, IPN reports.

Ludmila Botan, director of the municipal Funeral Services Company, said the absence of space at the Saint Lazarus Cemetery becomes a pressing problem as there are no more places for tombs.

A crematory will be built on almost 8 hectares located not far from the crematory. The area is now wooded. A draft decision to this effect will be presented in the nearest future.

The Saint Lazarus Cemetery, which is also called the Doina Cemetery, occupies an area of about 2 million square meters. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Europe.