Step-by-step instructions for relatives:
how to organize a funeral in Belarus

The loss of a loved one is a difficult experience for every family. And at such a moment, organizing a funeral becomes an additional burden. But knowing the main stages of this process will help you cope with grief and save precious energy to support your loved ones. Let’s look at the nuances of funerals in Belarus.

When organizing a funeral in Minsk, it is important to correctly fill out all the necessary documents and agree on the provision of a range of funeral services.

Organizing a funeral: basic steps

After the death of a relative, the first priority is to obtain a medical death certificate. This document is issued by the doctor who certified the death. You need to contact the registry office for a death certificate, and then to the funeral agency.

Funeral service specialists will help with the following points:

• preparation of documents for funerals and burials;
• choosing a coffin and other necessary accessories;
• organizing a farewell ceremony;
• resolving issues with the cemetery;
• ordering a funeral lunch.

You can also order services for burying an urn with ashes after cremation from a funeral agency.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Obtaining a medical death certificate.
2. Applying to the registry office for a death certificate.
3. Ordering funeral services.
4. Choosing a burial site.
5. Obtaining permission for burial from the cemetery administration.
6. Organization of the funeral ceremony.

Transportation of the body of the deceased from Russia to Belarus must be carried out in specialized vehicles that have a sanitary passport and equipment for transporting the bodies of the deceased.

The farewell process

The farewell ceremony includes several stages.

Funeral service

If the deceased or his relatives were believers, then before the funeral there is a funeral service in the temple. The priest reads a prayer of permission, asking God to forgive the sins of the deceased and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven. Family and friends can also say goodbye to their loved one.

Farewell ceremony

At a civil memorial service, people can also express their condolences and say parting words on their last journey. This helps you accept the loss and move on.

Transportation and burial of the body

The last stage is the delivery of the body to the cemetery and burial. The funeral agency provides a specialized hearse and burial workers. Relatives can lower the coffin into the grave themselves or the cemetery staff will do it.

Ritual expenses

The cost of funeral services in Belarus can vary from several hundred to several thousand Belarusian rubles, depending on the selected set of services. On average, costs range from 500 to 2000 Belarusian rubles and include:

• rent of a grave;
• purchase of ritual accessories (coffin, wreaths);
• organization of a funeral procession;
• burial ritual.

Additional fees include ordering a funeral meal, making photo collages for the farewell ceremony, and subsequent care of the grave.