Brawl Erupts at Russian Cemetery as Roma Crowd Steals Food, Attacks Police

A post-Easter gathering at a cemetery in southern Russia turned violent when a group of intoxicated individuals reportedly stole food from gravesites and attacked responding police officers. The incident occurred on April 28 in the town of Zelenokumsk, where a large crowd of men and women, identified by local media as members of the Roma community, gathered for an unauthorized feast on cemetery grounds. The group allegedly helped themselves to traditional Easter foods—such as kulichi (Easter cakes)—that had been left on graves by local families in accordance with Orthodox custom. In Russia, it is a long-standing tradition to visit cemeteries in the days following Orthodox Easter, particularly on Radonitsa (the "Day of Rejoicing"), to honor deceased loved ones. Families often bring food, including decorated eggs and sweet breads, which they place on graves as offerings in remembrance of the departed.