Who will protect the graves at Sabunchu Cemetery? Widow seeks justice – Feedback – Photos – Video

Just the day before, on August 27, Vesti.az It’s out Material “The cemetery is uneasy … Who is responsible for managing the graves in Baku?” Today the editorial office began to receive calls from readers who told their stories of what they had to face when visiting the graves in Baku, relatives and friends. This includes “neighbors” throwing garbage into nearby cemeteries to keep their area clean, the inability to reach the desired location due to the cemetery paths being blocked by trees and branches, as well as the theft of metal carvings and even … Alcoholics drinking on the graves, leaving food scraps inside the fences, attracting stray dogs and foxes, broken bottles and even bags of dirty clothes …

But one story in particular struck us. Just the other day, this happened to an old CAbenchi cemetery, where many Baku residents found eternal peace. It was this cemetery that became a source of pain and anxiety for Iya Yulievna Butova, who contacted our editorial office.

When she arrived in Baku from Turkey with her daughter and grandson, she was deeply shocked and outraged to find that her late husband’s grave had been vandalized. This incident was not just a case of property damage, but an act that touched the deepest feelings and memories of a loved one.

Obviously, we are all equal before the world of the dead, and they do not look at merit or social status. However, we would be remiss if we did not mention the deceased Yi people.Vladimirovich Butov was a native of Baku who dedicated his life to the oil industry. After working for Gaznefteflot for many years, the specialist’s career path took him to Turkey, where he worked for the Palmali company, gaining the lofty status of a leading specialist. Igor Butov died of a sudden heart attack in 2017 at the age of 53. His remains were brought to Baku and buried in the Sabenchu ​​cemetery, where his ancestors are buried.

This is what the monument looked like before it was destroyed (Photo: I.Yu. Butova)

In the video sent to me by Butov’s widow, we can see how the company team and management bid him farewell on his final journey, how wreaths were thrown into the sea, and how the captain directed the ship to bid him farewell.

However, it is clear to us that the destroyers do not care about the merits of those who go to the other world. They are driven by other emotions and feelings, in this case, apparently an excessive love of money.

So, when Iya Yulievna came to her husband’s grave a few days ago, she was shocked: the monument was broken, the black marble stele weighing 150 kilograms was cut down. This tragedy deeply shocked the widow. An appeal to the head of the cemetery, Kamran I., gave only a partial understanding of what happened.

The employee claimed that he took daily walks around the cemetery entrusted to him and discovered the destruction of the monument on June 28. According to him, he called the local police and recorded the incident of vandalism, but the management took very limited action: cement was used to fix the stone in place, but that was all the cemetery staff could do.

Kamran I’s version tends to suggest that this was not an act of vandalism, but an attempt at theft. One might think that the workers who built the monument here probably decided to do this, but they did not deal with marble, but more often built monuments with granite and other materials.

As soon as she left the cemetery, Ilya Yulievna went to the Sabinchu police station to seek justice, but to her surprise, they didn’t even know what happened at the cemetery. The deputy director of the department accepted this and promised to investigate what happened.

“I can’t just leave it alone. The material damage I’ve suffered isn’t even that great, although it’s scary to imagine how much I’d have to spend to erect a new, similar headstone. It’s the emotional damage that hurts me the most. How can I be sure that the new monument won’t suffer the same fate? In general, it’s scary when you think that other people might do something bad to the grave of your loved one,” the widow shared.

She stressed that the cemetery is vast but has only one guard and no surveillance cameras.

“Cleaning between graves is rarely done and is mainly done by the relatives of the deceased themselves,” added Ilya Yulyevna.

Iya Yulievna’s story is not just a random incident, but a reflection of a wider problem. Like many other cemeteries in Baku, Sabenchi Cemetery suffers from a lack of attention and proper care. Security issues remain unresolved, and efforts by the cemetery administration and local law enforcement agencies are clearly not enough.

“Destruction and robbing of cemeteries are not only crimes, but also a blow to the heart of the people, who must ensure that no one insults the memory of their loved ones. Baku authorities need to realize that places like Sabenchu ​​Cemetery require more serious measures to ensure security and maintain order. After all, it is not only a matter of respect for the dead, but also of concern for those who remain to remember them.”