The history of any city can be traced through its ancient cemeteries, which tell stories of epidemics, the social composition of the population, and other facts. Unfortunately, many Moscow cemeteries were destroyed during the Soviet era, but some have survived. One of the oldest necropolises in Moscow is Piatnitskoye Cemetery, founded during the era of Catherine the Great for the mass burial of plague victims. Today, Piatnitskoye Cemetery is not the largest and is relatively unknown, but it deserves attention.

Piatnitskoye Cemetery is located in the Alexeyevsky district and has several attractions. Firstly, there is the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, laid in 1830 and consecrated five years later. Previously, a wooden church built in 1772 by the order of Catherine the Great stood on this site. A small church in honor of Paraskeva Friday was located near the Trinity Road, and its name was immortalized in the new stone cathedral, while the name of Paraskeva Friday became the popular name for the cemetery.

The initiator of the new church's construction was priest Fyodor Protopopov, and the project was developed by architect Afanasy Grigoryev. If you have been to Vagankovo Cemetery, you might have noticed the similarity of the church to the Trinity Cathedral, which is not surprising since they have the same author.

Another attraction is the Church of Saint Simeon of Persia, a name that is rare in Russia but does occur. The project for this church was created by architect Nikolai Nikolayevich Blagoveshchensky, and the construction was financed by a wealthy Muscovite, Zaitsev. The church became a tribute to his father, who was buried in this cemetery (the grave has not survived).

Few burials have survived to this day. Of particular note is the grave of engineer of communications Boris Alexeyevich Verkhovsky, who was killed during the Boxer Rebellion in China. His body was transported to Russia and buried at Piatnitskoye Cemetery, where a tall obelisk, miraculously preserved, stands over the grave. Here, you can also see several merchant tombstones. Interestingly, all the monuments are modest, without the usual pomp characteristic of wealthy individuals, just slabs and quotes from the Bible.