Because of the strict closures in place throughout the country, the lives of the Russians have changed dramatically, as has the way they deal with the dead, and meanwhile, cemeteries in many Russian regions have been closed to visitors, to encourage people to stay in their homes, and slow the spread of infection. Since April 9, Moscow's tombs have been open only to residents of the capital who are burying their dead.
With Moscow emerging as the epicenter of the Corona virus outbreak in the country, the city's “funeral industry” is heading to cyberspace, to allow residents to see funerals, without being physically present.
"After the introduction of the home quarantine system, the demand for tele-services increased significantly," said the director of Richel, the largest funeral organizer in Moscow, adding that at the same time the number of people attending each funeral decreased to seven or eight. Persons, an average of 50 people, since the city started closing on March 30.
Richiol responded to this growing demand by offering broadcast funerals online, to allow people to grieve in stone, if they wanted to.
Yemikov said that the company organized more than 100 funerals, and broadcast them live, since it gave the option to its customers, in early April.
Required documents
And in these virtual funerals, there is an individual link for every consolation, in order to watch the live broadcast on a closed platform, and the broadcast is provided at no additional cost, and people can still attend the funeral personally, if they prefer, and the company allows customers to specify the burial site, and request a cleaning And the maintenance of graves via the Internet, or by phone, however, customers still have to go to the offices of Richiol, to sign the documents.
In this context, OpenAgent, another leading funeral organizer in Moscow, took another step by sending couriers to take the required documents, to individuals ’homes, if they preferred to remain isolated. The bereaved can then choose the coffin, wreaths, and other funeral elements, online, and specify whether all ceremonies will be held online or not.
Broadcast on YouTube
When the time for the funeral, those concerned receive a link, via the Internet, to watch a closed broadcast on YouTube, during which the funeral service and the burial process are displayed. "Photographing funerals is not a new thing," said the director of the Moscow-based Union of Professional Funeral Agents, Stanislav Baritsky, commenting: "We did it long before the epidemic began, for example, a person might be In prison when his mother dies, so we film the entire funeral process and then send him the footage. There are also many elderly people who cannot attend the funeral service for health reasons. ”
While the "Covid-19" virus may have changed the way Moscow residents attend funerals, the industry has not changed its practices when burying the victims of the emerging virus, despite evidence that it could be infected, by contacting an infected body.
When it comes to funerals, cremation of corpses infected with coronavirus is optional in Russia, the coffin is also kept closed during the ceremony, and funeral organizers have advised to limit direct contact between mourners and corpses infected with coronavirus. Russian funerals have gradually introduced Russian and Orthodox traditions, Even paganism, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as funerals are held on the third day, after death. In low-income families and small villages, the body is kept at home until the day of the funeral, but more commonly it is sent to the morgue until the funeral date in the church, and Russian Orthodox funerals are usually an open coffin, with guests expected to bow in front of the coffin before kissing a tape It is placed on the forehead of the deceased.
Zinc Coffins
Zinc coffins are the only option for burying the corpses of people infected with the Corona virus, and burial companies constantly receive phone calls asking about the best way to bury the body under the pandemic. No law or order has been adopted, to date, specifying the use of zinc coffins or anything of that nature. Zinc coffins appeared during the war in Afghanistan to transport the bodies of dead soldiers on board trains, but these procedures are complicated and costly. Some have suggested using plastic to wrap the corpse instead, giving relatives and mourners the opportunity to see the dead without risking their safety.
It is important for relatives to see the face of the person who died, but such solutions require government support, if implemented on a larger scale, at a time when consolation companies do not pay much attention to this issue.
When it comes to funerals, cremation of corpses infected with coronavirus is optional in Russia, the coffin is also kept closed during the ceremony, and funeral organizers have advised to limit direct contact between mourners and corpses infected with coronavirus.