Gravediggers in Tbilisi - digging, shoring and burial by one dedicated crew

Crew duties the day before and on the funeral day

The crew is made up of three or four people, and the work is split over two days: preparation before the funeral and completion after the ceremony. Both stages are covered by one price.

The day before the funeral

• confirming the plot with the cemetery administration and marking out its boundaries so that the neighbouring grave is not disturbed;
• digging to the standard size - length 220 cm, width 90 cm, depth 180 cm - and wider for a heavy or American-style casket;
• shoring the sides with boards if the soil is loose or wet, so that the earth does not collapse overnight;
• piling the excavated soil neatly on one side and covering it, sparing mourners the sight of a muddy heap;
• covering the open grave with boards and barrier tape for the night.

The funeral day itself

• the crew arrives before the family, removes the cover and checks that rain or frost has not damaged the grave;
• lowering the coffin on straps, evenly and calmly, or together with the operator of the coffin lowering device;
• backfilling once relatives have each cast in the customary first handful of soil, then shaping and firming the mound;
• setting up a temporary wooden cross and arranging the wreaths and flowers;
• tidying the area and photographing the finished grave for relatives who may want to see it later.

Prices

The price does not include the cemetery administration's fee or the cost of the plot. The family pays these separately against a receipt, and the coordinator tells you the amount over the phone. We add no mark-up to them. Opening an existing grave is described in more detail on our family grave page.

Soil, weather and how long the work takes

How long digging takes depends above all on the soil and the season. At Tbilisi's large cemeteries, especially Mukhatgverdi and Vashlijvari, the ground is clay: hard in dry weather, heavy and sticky after rain. In normal conditions the job takes three to four hours, and up to five in a stony layer or frozen ground. That is why the crew almost always sets to work a day early, and by the time mourners gather next morning the grave is already prepared.

In winter, when the frost goes deep, we break the top layer with special tools, and in the summer heat we start early in the morning so that the heavy work is over before the midday sun. In heavy rain we cover the grave with a waterproof sheet as well as boards, and if water has still collected, we pump it out in the morning.

Risks of hiring casual workers at the cemetery gate

At the entrance to many cemeteries there are workers offering to do the job quickly and cheaply. Sometimes it really is cheap, but families who come to us later tell the same stories:

• The price climbs: at the graveside itself, in front of the mourners, the workers ask for extra money for "difficult soil" or "additional work", and at that moment it is almost impossible to say no.
• The size is wrong: the grave turns out too narrow or too short for the coffin, and the lowering stops in full view of the family while the sides are widened.
• The neighbouring grave suffers: an inexperienced worker damages a slab or railing, and the dispute with the other family is left for your family to deal with.
• Nobody is accountable: no invoice, no receipt, no guarantee, and after the funeral the workers disappear.

Our crew is on the funeral home's staff, the price is fixed in writing, and we calculate the grave size in advance from the coffin model.

Matching the grave to the coffin model

The standard size suits most six-sided coffins, but not all of them. An American rectangular casket, a heavy oak model or an XL size for a tall person needs a wider and longer grave, sometimes by thirty centimetres. If nobody knows this in advance, on the day the coffin does not fit and the sides start being widened in front of the family. So the operator always asks which coffin has been chosen, and the crew leader works out the dimensions from the manufacturer's data. A child's grave is correspondingly smaller, and on a double plot, where a spouse will be buried later, we divide the space so that the second half stays untouched. If you are still choosing, our guide on how to choose a coffin may help.

Safety during the ceremony

At a funeral dozens of people stand around the grave, among them older people and children, and the edge of a freshly dug grave is slippery, especially after rain. So we cover the edges with boards and a mat to give people firm footing, and lay the excavated soil so that it does not block the path. At the moment of lowering, the gravediggers politely ask the family to step back a couple of paces, and we set chairs for elderly relatives close by but at a safe distance.

Booking a crew, step by step

1. The call: tell us the cemetery and the day of the funeral, whether it is a new plot or a family grave, and which coffin has been chosen.
2. Paperwork: our coordinator secures permission from the cemetery office, or the card for a new plot. The family only provides an ID and signs once.
3. Seeing the plot: if the family wishes, the crew leader sends photos of the plot the day before, so you can be sure we are working in the right place.
4. Preparation: the grave is dug the day before or at dawn, and then covered.
5. The funeral: during the ceremony the gravediggers keep in the background, and the lowering and completion are done at the family's pace.

Gravediggers in the regions and at village cemeteries

In villages, the grave has traditionally been dug by fellow villagers since time immemorial, and it is a dignified old custom. But if there are no young men left in the village, it is the middle of winter, or the family simply does not want to trouble the neighbours, our crew drives out from Tbilisi the day before, stays overnight and has the grave ready by morning. The work is charged at the rates above, and the travel by mileage. We agree the place at the village cemetery in advance with the community or the church, so that the crew can start on the right plot straight away. For the hearse journey itself, see transport to the regions.

After the funeral: the settling mound

A fresh mound sinks over the first few weeks, especially in the rainy season, and by the time of ormotsi - the family's 40th-day remembrance - it is often almost flat. This is a natural process, not a mistake. Before the 40th day the family can ask us to top up and reshape the mound, so the grave looks cared for on the day of remembrance. A permanent headstone or slab is best installed once the ground has fully settled, usually by the first anniversary.

Frequently asked questions