On Saturday, September 26, at 12:00, the last open tour of the year took place at the city cemetery of Smiltene, organized by the Smiltene Region Museum in collaboration with the Smiltene Region Tourist Information Center. The participation fee is 3 euros for adults, 2 euros for schoolchildren and pensioners. For certain groups of residents, it is free. According to the Smiltene Region Museum, during the tour, participants are shown the burial sites of outstanding teachers, writers, artists, and public figures, while also learning about the life stories of these individuals. A special place in the tour is dedicated to those who fought for the freedom and independence of Latvia. Among those buried in the Smiltene cemetery are also several recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis. One of the individuals about whom more can be learned during the tour is Pēteris Krievs. He fought alongside the first commander of the armed forces of the Provisional Government of Latvia, Oskars Kalpaks, and fell on the battlefield with him. LA.LV noted that such an event surprised some people on the social network “Threads.” This raises the question — is a cemetery tour really something unusual? Although the phrase “cemetery tour” may attract attention and seem unusual to some, in other countries around the world, visiting historical cemeteries with a guide has long been an integral part of culture and tourism. One of the most famous examples is the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. It is not only a burial site but also one of the attractions of the French capital, visited by millions of people every year. Many world-famous personalities are buried at Père Lachaise — Jim Morrison, the lead singer of “The Doors,” writer Oscar Wilde, composer Frédéric Chopin, singer Édith Piaf, and others. Visitors are offered tours during which they can learn not only about the burial places of famous people but also about the history of the cemetery, its architecture, and monuments. The historic “Green-Wood” cemetery in New York is also positioned much more broadly than just a burial site. There, one can go on tours, use maps and audio guides, learning about the history, art, architecture, and nature of the cemetery. In turn, at Arlington National Cemetery in the USA, where many outstanding military and state figures are buried, organized tours and walking routes are available. A special tourist transport also circulates across the extensive grounds, allowing visitors to reach the most significant sites, including the grave of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a memorial site for fallen soldiers whose identities have not been established. Moreover, the themes of tours are not always solely related to death and burials. For example, at the New Cemetery in Belgrade, themed tours are offered about writers and poets, actors, historical figures, and even about the love stories of outstanding individuals. Thus, the tour offered in Smiltene for three euros is not unique or unusual in a global context. In this case, the focus is not on death itself — the cemetery becomes a place through which the fates of specific individuals can be told, along with a part of the history of the city and Latvia.
