Vagan’kovskoye Cemetery (Ваганьковское кладбище), established in 1771, considered one of Moscow’s older cemeteries and is located in the Krasnaya Presnya district of Moscow. It is the burial site for a number of people from the artistic and sports community of Russia and the old Soviet Union.

Nothing expresses the culture of a country or people than their cemeteries. I often enjoy walking and exploring Vagankovo Cemetery. I always visit this tombstone, it stands out for me and I am not sure who is buried here, I could not find a name the last time I was there, but I am thinking that it might be the grave of Zinaida Nikolayevna Reich, which the craving figure reminds me of from pictures I have seen of the actress. Reich worked as an actress and was featured as a star of the Meyerhold Theatre from 1923 until her death in 1939. Reich studied at the State Experimental Theatre Workshops, headed by famous theatrical director Vsevolod Meyerhold with whom she married.

Meyerhold directed his theatre for nearly a year until he was arrested in Leningrad on June 20, 1939. Twenty-five days later, his wife Zinaida Reich was found dying in their Moscow apartment on July 15, 1939. It was believed that two unknown assailants broke into Reich-Meyerhold apartment during the night of 14–15 July. They stabbed her 17 times, including through the eyes. Reich died from loss of blood the next morning. Her last words to her doctor were, “Leave me alone, I am dying.” Reich had sent both her children out of the apartment that night, and nothing was taken from the apartment. Most historians believe that the murder was organized by the NKVD.

Zinaida Reich was buried at Vagankovo Cemetery near the grave of her first husband Sergey Yesenin. As Meyerhold was executed by the NKVD on 2 February 1940 after a confession from torture, the location of his remains is not known. Supporters erected a memorial to him at Reich’s gravesite.

I think this may be Zinaida Nikolayevna Reich’s grave, but I am not sure, I will have to check this grave more closely the next time I am at Vagankovo.