In line with a federal public opinion poll dedicated to practices and meanings related to cemetery visitation in Russia (Public Opinion Fond, 2014), 51% of the respondents did not prefer to be at a cemetery, principally because of the "depressing ambiance." Moscow cemeteries aren't planned and designed as welcoming multifunctional areas, so they match this public opinion. Monetary sources are important for the sustainability of cemeteries, and it feels natural that those accountable for the graves ought to contribute to cemeteries’ upkeep and improvement. Although there exist basic research of the Russian funeral industry (Moiseeva, 2013; Mokhov, 2021; Mokhov & Sokolova, 2020), so far as I am aware, this article is the first English-language paper which focuses on the spatial features of cemetery planning and development within a Russian context. Utilizing the idea of public house as a theoretical lens, I aim to discover the extent to which cemeteries are envisioned as public areas in planning policies and development practices in Moscow.