Raadi cemetery

The Raadi cemetery, Estonian: Raadi kalmistu) is is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in Tartu, in Estonia, dating from the 18th century. Many prominent historical figures from the history of Estonia are buried here. It is also the largest burial ground of the Baltic Germans in Estonia after the destruction of Kopli cemetery in Tallinn. Until 1841, it was the only cemetery in Tartu.

The cemetery currently includes several smaller graveyard sections, the oldest of which date back to 1773.

Origins 1771-1773

Between 1771 and 1772, Catherine the Great, empress of the Russian empire, issued an edict which decreed that from that point on no-one who died (regardless of their social standing or class origins) was to be buried in a church crypt or churchyard; all burials were to take place in the new cemeteries to be built throughout the entire Russian empire, which were to be located outside town boundaries.

These measures were intended to overcome the congestion of urban church crypts and graveyards, and were prompted by a number of outbreaks of highly contagious diseases linked to inadequate burial practices in urban areas, especially the black plague which had led to the Plague Riot in Moscow in 1771.

It was officially opened on 5th November 1773 as "Vana-Jaani"(Old Jaani), ((German: 'Alter Johannis Friedhof', ) as part of the property of the Baltic German congregation of St John's church in Tartu.

Different congregations and ethnic groups

Until 1841, the cemetery served as the common burial ground for all congregations and ethnic groups in the city. The cemetery was divided into different sections for each one.

A small area nanmed Maarja, north-west of Vana-Jaani, was also established in 1773 as a burial ground for the ethnic Estonian congregation of St John's church in Tartu.

North-west of Maarja, lies the Uspenski section, which was also established in 1773 as an (most Russian) Orthodox burial ground.

The old Tartu university section is in the north-eastern corner of Raadi.

Decline in burials 1939-1944

Burials at the cemetery were drastically reduced after Hitler's forced transfer, under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, of tens of thousands of Baltic Germans from Estonia and Latvia in late 1939 over to areas in western Poland.

Burials at the cemetery continued on a much smaller scale until 1944, principally among those Baltic Germans who had refused Hitler's call to leave the region.

Present state

By the beginning of the 21st century, the expansion of the city of Tartu had passed well beyond the borders of the Raadi cemetery and a new burial ground has been established on the east side of town.

Raadi cemetery

Origins 1771-1773

Different congregations and ethnic groups

Decline in burials 1939-1944

Present state

Famous people buried at the cemetery

See also