On the island of San Michele, tourists are rare, although it is only half a kilometer from Venice. In ancient times, there was a monastery of Archangel Michael, and in 1807, the city cemetery Cimitero was established, planted with cypress trees and surrounded by a red brick wall in the 1870s. Today, this place is known as the "island of the dead." For Russians, it holds special significance, as several outstanding compatriots, whose names are important to Russian and world culture, are buried here.

The cemetery culture here is noticeably different from what we are used to. The care, brightness, and even somewhat garish colorfulness stand out. In many gravestone photographs, people are smiling.

Italian composer Casella recounted that in the last years of his life, Diaghilev "lived on credit, unable to pay for a hotel" in Venice, and on August 19, 1929, "died alone, in a hotel room, poor as he had always been." The funeral of the great impresario was paid for by Coco Chanel, his close friend, who supported many of his productions during his lifetime.

The gravestone bears the inscription: "Venice, the constant inspirer of our calm," which are Diaghilev's last words. Next to the grave lie ballet pointe shoes.