Police Intervene in Controversial Live Burial Ceremony in Leningrad Region Forests

Law enforcement officials in the northwestern Leningrad region interrupted a live burial ceremony taking place in the woods, compelling the organizers to dig up individuals who had been buried alive, as reported by state media on Thursday.

According to a source quoted by the state-owned TASS news agency, “Authorities discovered two individuals wrapped in rags and interred during their inspection.” Officers insisted that the organizers unearth the participants to ensure their well-being.

TASS released a video showing police arriving at the campsite and instructing a person dressed in blue robes to remove the earth covering at least two individuals, who were seen fully wrapped in cloth and resting in a shallow grave.

The news agency indicated that 15 individuals were involved in this ritual, where one person is symbolically buried alive as part of a spiritual or psychological transformation process. Participants are generally covered with soil while lying in a shallow pit to mimic the act of burial.

The organizers of this live burial, a couple consisting of a man and a woman, were subsequently detained, according to TASS. The report mentioned that they might face charges for operating an organization that violates citizens’ rights, a charge that could lead to a maximum prison sentence of seven years.