Moscow is installing Wi-Fi in its cemeteries
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Moscow is taking steps to ensure that no one ever goes through the awkward experience of seeking out Nikita Khrushchev's grave without knowing who he is. The Russian city's historic cemeteries are getting a 21st century upgrade as Ritual, the funeral service that manages Moscow's cemeteries, installs Wi-Fi on its grounds.
"These cemeteries are like open-air museums. People often come and find themselves standing in front of a grave and want to know more about the person lying there," Ritual spokeswoman Lilya Lvovskaya told AFP.
For now the Wi-Fi is rolling out in just three historic cemeteries, where writers Nikolai Gogol, Anton Chekhov, and first Russian president Boris Yeltsin are buried. If all goes well, the company hopes to expand internet access to the rest of the 133 graveyards in the city.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So the next time you find yourself in Moscow standing before Khrushchev's tomb and scratching your head, keep in mind you can now pull out your phone — and quickly be reminded that he led the Soviet Union through the height of the Cold War.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl: A win for unityFeature The global superstar's halftime show was a celebration for everyone to enjoy
-
Book reviews: ‘Bonfire of the Murdochs’ and ‘The Typewriter and the Guillotine’Feature New insights into the Murdoch family’s turmoil and a renowned journalist’s time in pre-World War II Paris
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
