Novosibirsk’s oldest cemetery, known as Nizhne-Yel’tsovskoye or “Yuzhnoye-1,” is located in the Sovetsky district and is gradually being reclaimed by nature. This small, forgotten burial ground, dating back nearly 200 years, offers a glimpse into the city’s past, with graves of quiet, poor, and often inconspicuous people.

The cemetery is nestled between Berdskoye Highway and the Ob River, surrounded by private houses and dachas. It is no longer in operation, with the last burials occurring approximately 10 years ago. While some graves are well-maintained by relatives, others have fallen into disrepair, marked by dilapidated mounds and nameless crosses.

Local historian Konstantin Golodyaev noted that the cemetery appears on an 1835 plan, predating the newer “Yuzhnoye” cemetery. The older cemetery contains burials from the mid-20th century, including homemade crosses and metal obelisks with worn-off inscriptions. Some crosses feature a “roof,” an echo of Slavic burial traditions.

Irina Stepanova, a local resident, shared her difficulty in locating her great-grandparents’ graves, which she believes have disappeared over time. Evgeny, a resident of the private sector near the cemetery, says the close proximity of the living and the dead doesn’t bother anyone.

Despite its age, the cemetery does not qualify as an archaeological monument, according to archaeologist Vladimir Sumin. He explained that a cemetery only begins to archaeologize after burials have ceased for 100 years.