Garden cemeteries to be created in Armenia in 2020

PanARMENIAN.Net - Garden cemeteries in line with American and European standards will be created in Armenia in 2020, Arman Iskandaryan, the director of the non-commercial organization Special Services for the Population, told PanARMENIAN.Net on Tuesday, November 26.

Iskandaryan said investors planning to open crematoria in the country are also preparing to establish the new graveyards.

The man behind the initiative cited the huge territories that cemeteries cover in the country as a serious problem. In Yerevan alone, he said, 1.8 ha per year is allocated for cemeteries, while officially the total area of 21 graveyards is 530 ha.

The allocation of land for graves is officially free in Yerevan, with the relatives of the deceased paying only AMD 26,900 (approx. $56) for digging the grave. However, they are planning to start selling burial plots to control the growth of cemeteries.

The new cemeteries will be created on private land amid trees and bushes and flowers to resemble gardens.

Iskandaryan had said earlier that they are also planning to open two crematories in Armenia. He said they have studied the legislation in the area and do not see any problems with the law.