Is there a threat to the graves? The memorial cemetery has explained the cause of the ground subsidence
This was reported by Suspilne, citing Yaroslav Starushchenko, the acting director of the state institution. Meanwhile, the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Centre has published a different assessment of the situation.
What happened after the downpour
Following heavy rainfall, reports emerged online of ground subsidence and erosion in certain areas of the National Military Memorial Cemetery.
The Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Centre stated that the most significant changes occurred in areas where the ground level had previously been artificially raised. According to representatives of the organisation, this may have been caused by problems with water drainage and the drainage system.
The Centre also claims that, following the downpour, staff filled in the areas where the ground had subsided.
The memorial administration’s response
The National Military Memorial Cemetery denies that any damage to graves has occurred.
According to the acting director, Yaroslav Starushchenko, once the rain had stopped, staff began filling in and levelling the areas where natural soil subsidence had been observed.
“There is no threat to the gravesites. This is specifically a case of natural soil compaction following a traditional burial, rather than the erosion of graves, flooding or the effects of groundwater,” he noted.
The state agency clarified that subsidence had been detected only at a few graves where burials had taken place over the past one or two months.
Why does the soil settle?
The administration explained that after a burial, the soil gradually compacts under its own weight. This process can take anywhere from a few months to several years, depending on the type of soil, weather conditions and the time elapsed since the burial.
It is for this very reason that permanent gravestones are usually erected about a year after the burial, once the ground has finally stabilised.
Who is responsible for rectifying the situation
The National Military Memorial Cemetery has emphasised that all work involving backfilling and levelling the ground is carried out by a state body.
Unlike most cemeteries, where the correction of natural subsidence is usually carried out by the relatives of the deceased, at the memorial this work is funded and carried out centrally. The cemetery has assured us that soil backfilling will be carried out whenever the need arises.
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