One of the cemeteries in the Almaty region, specifically in Kaskelen, has fallen victim to looting. The traces of this crime were discovered by the relatives of the deceased. They are requesting authorities to provide security at the graveyard, but the city administration claims it’s impossible.
Grave Robbers
The desecrated graves were recorded on a smartphone’s video camera by a relative of the deceased. Holding back tears, he described how vandals had mistreated the graves of his loved ones, removing crosses and damaging the fencing.
According to local residents, outcasts are selling the stolen items, often sending memorials for scrap metal. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that cemeteries are not protected, which has allowed vandals to not only take the individual fencing but also the cemetery’s main fence into their hands.
The city administration of Kaskelen explained that there are six cemeteries in the city — four Muslim and two Orthodox. The department allocates 2 million tenge annually for their maintenance. These funds are sufficient for garbage cleanup but not for security.
«Each cemetery has a government registration document. The state allocates small amounts annually to maintain order, collect and remove garbage, and trim trees — that’s what we do. The problem is that the cemetery you visited is not active and abandoned. There are no new burials there, so there is no caretaker. However, in the upper part where there is another cemetery, it is active, and burials are taking place,» explained Askar Mukashev, the head of Kaskelen.
Police officers assure citizens that vandals are constantly being caught and punished. For desecrating historical and cultural heritage sites or engaging in actions that offend public morality, a fine ranging from 50 to 100 times the Monthly Calculation Index (MCI) is imposed, or individuals can be sentenced to up to 160 hours of community service or up to 40 days of arrest. However, these penalties may not deter individuals from stealing fences and turning them into scrap metal. To prevent this, it would be wise to establish control over scrap metal collection points.
Future Without Cemeteries
Local authorities often struggle to protect even the cemeteries that are still regularly visited, let alone those that have long been abandoned. After 20 years of disuse, these cemeteries are typically cleared away, and green parks may be constructed in their place, in the best-case scenario. However, it’s not uncommon for concrete buildings to be erected on the sites of former burial grounds.
The only way to avoid desecrating graves is to completely abandon traditional burial methods. Ritual agents predict that in 30 years, cemeteries may cease to exist altogether. This suggests a shift towards alternative burial practices or memorialization methods may be necessary to address these challenges.
Tradition Vs Problem
Countries like Japan and China are typical examples of progressive states that have grappled with cemetery shortages. Due to rapid population growth, they have seen the proliferation of graveyards to the point where authorities become concerned about the lack of space for those living. The only acceptable funeral ritual in these countries is cremation. However, the older generation actively resists these changes implemented by the government. They stage strikes and even publicly lie in coffins to defend their right to be buried in the traditional manner. Tradition has a more significant influence on residents than the awareness of a very real and global problem.
Kazakhstan shares similar views. Many people have a negative perception of cremation, despite its obvious benefits. Unlike traditional burials, cremation not only frees up land but also eliminates the decomposition of the body in the soil. It’s important to understand that corpse decomposition can be a source of infection. From this perspective, cremation is a delicate and respectful method of laying a body to rest.
