State regulation in the field of burial and funeral affairs is carried out by the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, local Councils of Deputies, local executive and administrative bodies, and other state bodies within their competence.

The President of the Republic of Belarus in the field of burial and funeral affairs determines state policy and exercises other powers in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and other legislative acts.

Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus in the field of burial and funeral affairs:

• ensures the implementation of state policy;
• establishes the procedure for paying the burial allowance;
• establishes the procedure for the improvement of military graves and graves of war victims;(paragraph introduced by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)
• exercises other powers in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, this Law, other laws and acts of the President of the Republic of Belarus.

Ministry of Housing and Communal Services for Burial and Funeral Affairs:

• carries out state policy;
• develops standard rules for the provision and reservation for a fee of burial plots, places in a columbarium;(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No 75-Z)
• carries out the preparation of proposals for the improvement of legislation and the conclusion of international treaties of the Republic of Belarus;
• coordinates the activities of other republican state administration bodies, interacts with other state bodies and organizations;
• carries out international cooperation;
• carries out other powers in accordance with this Law and other legislative acts.

Ministry of Defense in the area of burial and funeral affairs:

• exercises authority toto the perpetuation of the memory of those who fell defending the Fatherland and the preservation of the memory of war victims
• carries out other powers in accordance with this Law and other legislative acts.

Local Councils of Deputies within their competence in the field of burial and funeral affairs:

• make decisions on the creation, relocation, and closure of burial sites;
• make decisions on the establishment of crematoria;
• exercise other powers in accordance with this Law and other legislative acts.

Local executive and administrative bodies within their competence in the field of burial and funeral affairs:

• carry out state policy in the territory of the corresponding administrative-territorial unit;
• organize works on the maintenance and improvement of burial sites within the territory of the relevant administrative-territorial unit, including taking into account local customs and traditions;(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)
• establish a list of burial plots, places in the columbarium, the maintenance and improvement of which are carried out by specialized organizations or individuals responsible for the maintenance and improvement of burial sites;
• exercise other powers in accordance with this Law and other legislative acts.

Other state bodies participate in the implementation of state policy and exercise other powers in the field of burial and funeral affairs in accordance with this Law and other legislative acts.

For the analysis of the application of legislation in the field of burial and funeral affairs, the development of proposals for the creation, maintenance and improvement of burial sites, and the establishment of crematoria within the territory of the relevant administrative-territorial unit under local executive and administrative bodies, trustee councils in the field of burial and funeral affairs may be created.

The composition and procedure of the activities of the trustees' councils in the field of burial and funeral affairs are determined by the local executive and regulatory bodies.

The state guarantees burial in the order established by this Law and other legislative acts in the field of burial and funeral affairs.

Will declaration of the deceased — an instruction made by a citizen during life:

• about the trust in the execution of one's testamentary wishes, including the performance of burial, to the spouse, close relatives, other relatives, the legal representative, the bank when opening a special burial account and concluding a contract with a specialized organization, other natural and legal persons;
• about voluntary consent or refusal to undergo a pathological anatomical examination, if it is not mandatory;
• on voluntary consent to the transfer after death of his body, organs, tissues to a health care organization or a state educational institution that provides training, qualification improvement and/or retraining of specialists with higher or secondary special medical, pharmaceutical education, for use in the educational process and scientific research;
• about the wish or unwillingness to be buried next to a previously deceased spouse (husband/wife) or close relatives, or in another place in accordance with religious beliefs, customs and traditions;
• about voluntary consent or refusal to be subjected to cremation

The declaration of intent regarding actions provided for by paragraphs two, three, five, and six of the first part of this article may be made in written or oral form in the presence of one or several witnesses, and regarding actions provided for by paragraph four of the first part of this article — in written form.

Burial in the burial place specified in the deceased's will is guaranteed if there is a free plot for burial or a place in a columbarium at the current burial site, and if the circumstances specified in part five of article 25 of this Law are present — in a closed burial place.

Burial and other actions concerning the body (remains) of the deceased, as specified in the first part of this article, must be carried out in accordance with the deceased's will, provided that this does not conflict with the law and that no circumstances have arisen under which the execution of such a will is impossible.

A declaration of will of the deceased made under duress is considered invalid.

The executors of the deceased's will are the persons specified in the deceased's will who have agreed to assume the responsibility for executing the deceased's will.

In the absence of the deceased's will or in case of refusal by the persons named in the deceased's will to carry out the will, the right to burial and to perform other actions concerning the body (remains) of the deceased belongs to the legal representative of the deceased, the spouse, close relatives of the deceased, other persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, and if they are absent, including the refusal of the mentioned persons of this right, the burial is carried out by a specialized organization.

Health care organizations and internal affairs bodies, when they have information about the fact of death and the location (storage) of the body (remains) of the deceased, provide such information to individuals and legal entities free of charge upon request.

Persons who have taken on the organization of burial, and specialized organizations are guaranteed on a free-of-charge basis:

• issuance of a medical death certificate (stillbirth), death certificate, death certificates;
• issuance of the deceased's body (remains) from the morgue within two days from the day the state medical forensic expert establishes the cause of death, if there are grounds for placing the deceased's body (remains) in the morgue for determining the cause of death (in the case that the forensic medical examination establishes severe bodily injuries that were the direct cause of death, the deceased's body (remains) is issued with written permission from the authority (person) who appointed this examination);
• the locating of the body (remains) of the deceased in the morgue under conditions that prevent the development of putrefactive processes, up to seven days from the day the state medical forensic expert determines the cause of death and resolves other issues specified in the resolution (order) appointing a forensic medical examination, if there are circumstances that hinder burial.

In the event that the identity of the deceased is not established or there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, specialized organizations are guaranteed the placement of the deceased's body (remains) in the morgue for up to forty-five days from the day the state medical forensic expert determines the cause of death and resolves other issues specified in the resolution (order) appointing a forensic medical examination, on a gratuitous basis.

At the choice of the natural person who has taken on the organization of the burial, the state guarantees the payment of a burial allowance or the provision of guaranteed burial services free of charge in accordance with Article 30 of this Law. Within the amount of the burial allowance received, the natural person who has taken on the organization of the burial may purchase the guaranteed burial services provided for in the fourth part of Article 30 of this Law.

The provisions of the third and fourth paragraphs of the second part, third part of this article do not apply to cases of death from such infectious diseases as natural smallpox, plague, cholera, yellow fever, melioidosis, anthrax, SAP, Lassa fever, Marburg, Ebola.

Guaranteed burial services are provided by specialized organizations, other legal entities, and individual entrepreneurs.

Guaranteed burial services are provided to an individual who has taken on the organization of the burial and has approached a specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur for the provision of guaranteed burial services, based on their written statement and death certificate.

In the event that an individual who has undertaken the organization of burial has not received a burial allowance, the guaranteed burial services are provided to him free of charge, with subsequent reimbursement to the specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur for burial expenses in accordance with Article 33 of this Law.

The guaranteed burial services include:

• manufacture of a wooden coffin without finishing, or with finishing using upholstery fabrics and (or) non-woven materials, or with other types of finishing;
• manufacture of a wooden chest, or a simple wooden cross, or a wooden identification post — with a finish of staining and/or varnish, another material, with a plaque on which the surname, given name, patronymic (if any), dates of birth and death of the deceased (if known) are indicated (hereinafter — chest, cross, identification post);
• delivery (within the relevant administrative-territorial unit) of the coffin and the tombstone, cross, identification post;
• transportation of the body (remains) of the deceased to the burial site or to a crematorium (within the relevant administrative-territorial unit or from the territory of the administrative-territorial unit beyond its borders to a burial site intended for interment of the deceased who lived on the territory of this administrative-territorial unit);
• burial of the body (remains) of the deceased or an urn with ashes (dust).

By the choice of the individual who has taken on the organization of the burial, the guaranteed burial services are provided by the appropriate specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur:

• by the place of birth of the deceased;
• by the last place of residence or place of stay, according to which the deceased was registered during life;
• by the burial place next to the previously deceased spouse (husband/wife), close relatives, and also heirs in case of burial of an urn with ash (cinders) after cremation in a family columbarium;
• by the place of residence or place of stay, at which the individual who has taken on the organization of burial is registered.

The range of goods, works and services necessary for the provision of guaranteed burial services, as well as the prices (tariffs) for them, are set within the amount of the burial allowance and are regulated by the local executive and administrative bodies of the regional territorial level. In this case:

• tariffs for the guaranteed service of transporting the body (remains) of the deceased to the burial site or to a crematorium by motor vehicle, for the delivery of the coffin and tombstone, cross, identification post are calculated per 1 hour and per 1 kilometer, taking into account the cost of fuel and lubricants;
• tariffs for the guaranteed service of burying the body (remains) of the deceased are formed based on costs for: digging a grave, carrying the coffin with the body to the burial site over a distance of up to 50 meters, lowering the coffin manually (mechanically), backfilling the grave, shaping the burial mound, installing a tombstone, cross, identification post;
• When forming tariffs for the guaranteed burial service, the seasonal nature of the activity (winter period) and its implementation features are taken into account: digging a grave manually (using a shovel and a crowbar), in confined conditions (within a fence or between tombstones placed on the plot(s) for burial); digging a grave by mechanized means; placing an urn with ashes (ash) into the ground (using a shovel and a crowbar) in a columbarium vase, without a columbarium vase, in a columbarium, a crypt;
• when providing the guaranteed service of manufacturing a wooden coffin (a wooden coffin without finishing, or with finishing of upholstery fabrics and/or non-woven materials, or with other types of finishing), a tomb (with staining and/or lacquer coating, other material), or a cross (with staining and/or lacquer coating, other material), or an identification post (with staining and/or lacquer coating, other material) the cost of the primary and auxiliary raw materials and supplies used for their manufacture is added to the tariffs:
  • imported into the Republic of Belarus, calculated based on the prices under the foreign trade contract and import costs (customs duties, cargo insurance, interest on loans (borrowings, guarantees), transport costs, other expenses in accordance with the legislation);
  • produced in the Republic of Belarus, calculated based on the manufacturer’s ex‑factory prices and the actual delivery expenses incurred.

Physical persons who have undertaken the organization of burial (excluding physical persons who are entitled to reimbursement of burial expenses in accordance with the legislation on compulsory insurance against occupational accidents and professional diseases) and who have not received the guaranteed burial services on a gratuitous basis are paid a burial allowance, provided that the application for it is submitted no later than six months from the date of death, and in case of a prolonged search for the deceased — no later than six months from the date of burial.

The burial allowance is paid from the funds:

• budget of the state extra‑budgetary fund for social protection of the population of the Republic of Belarus — in the event of the death of a person who, on the date of death or for at least 10 years, was covered by state social insurance and for whom either they themselves paid the mandatory contributions to state social insurance, a pensioner receiving a pension from the funds of state social insurance, including professional pension insurance, as well as an unemployed person registered with the committee on labor, employment and social protection of the Minsk city executive committee, the department (division) on labor, employment and social protection of the district (city) executive committee, or children (including adopted (foster) children, under guardianship (custody)) of the aforementioned persons who have not reached the age of 18 (students – up to 23 years of age);(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)
• of the corresponding state authority — in case of death (fatality) of a serviceman, a person subject to military service, called up for military conscription, a person of the commanding and enlisted staff of the internal affairs bodies, the Investigative Committee, the State Committee for Forensic Expertise, the financial investigation bodies of the State Control Committee, the bodies and units for emergency situations, citizens who died after dismissal from military service or from service in these bodies with the right to a pension, as well as the children (including adopted (step‑)children, under guardianship (custody)) of the mentioned persons who have not reached the age of 18 (students — up to the age of 23);(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)

• of the republican budget — in case of the death of a pensioner receiving a pension from the republican budget, or his children (including adopted (foster) children under guardianship (custody)), who have not reached the age of 18 (students up to the age of 23);(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)
• local budget — in the case of the death of a person for whom mandatory state social insurance contributions were not paid on the date of death or were paid for less than 10 years, who was not a pensioner, registered on the day of death in the territory of the respective administrative‑territorial unit, or the death of his children (including adopted (foster) children under guardianship), who have not reached the age of 18 (students — up to the age of 23); in the case of the birth of a dead child after 154 days of pregnancy, one of whose parents resides in the territory of the respective administrative‑territorial unit; in the case of burial of a person serving a sentence in a correctional institution, which before being sent to the place of serving the sentence was registered in the territory of the respective administrative‑territorial unit; in the case of burial of a person without a fixed residence or a deceased whose identity has not been established by the internal affairs bodies, whose death was established in the territory of the respective administrative‑territorial unit.(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)

To the students specified in paragraphs two — five of the second part of this article, the following persons are included: individuals who receive, in the Republic of Belarus, outside the Republic of Belarus in accordance with the international treaties of the Republic of Belarus, full‑time education at the level of general secondary, vocational‑technical, secondary specialized, higher, research‑oriented, and specialized education.

The burial allowance is paid in the amount of the average salary of workers in the republic for the month preceding the month of death.

Funeral allowance for a deceased pensioner among the persons listed in the third paragraph of the second part of article 31 of this Law, including those who have applied in the manner established by legislation for the appointment of a pension, is paid in the amount of his monthly pension payable (to be paid), but not less than the average wage of workers in the Republic for the month before the month of death.

A burial allowance for a deceased disabled veteran of the Great Patriotic War, a person receiving a pension for special merits before the republic, is paid in the amount of two months' worth of the pension assigned to him, but not less than the average wage of workers in the republic for the month before the month of death.

The amount of the burial allowance is determined as of the day of death, and in the case that, due to a prolonged search for the deceased, the burial was carried out later than the established day of death, — as of the burial day based on documents confirming this fact.

Reimbursement of burial expenses to a specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur is made at the expense of funds provided for by part two of article 31 of this Law, no later than the first working day following the day of submission of the document confirming the factual performance of the work, a copy of the written application for the provision of guaranteed burial services free of charge submitted by the individual who has taken on the organization of the burial (excluding cases of burial of deceased persons whose identity is not established, and deceased persons where there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial), and a death certificate.

Reimbursement of burial expenses to a specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur is made based on actual costs within the amount of the burial allowance.

The procedure for reimbursing burial expenses to a specialized organization, another legal entity, or an individual entrepreneur is established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

Reimbursement of burial expenses, including expenses for the installation of an above‑ground structure, of the insured person under compulsory insurance against occupational accidents and professional diseases, whose death occurred as a result of an insured event, is made to physical and (or) legal persons, individual entrepreneurs at the expense of the compulsory insurance funds against occupational accidents and professional diseases in the manner, amounts and on the conditions established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

Reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone is provided in the event of the death of military personnel who died (passed away) in peacetime while performing military service duties, as well as intelligence service employees, their family members and citizens of the Republic of Belarus who provided confidential assistance to intelligence services and who died (passed away) in connection with the conduct of foreign intelligence.

Reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone is carried out upon the application of the person who has taken on the organization of the installation of the burial structure, on the basis of documents confirming the expenses for the installation of the tombstone, in the procedure established by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

Reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone for deceased conscript soldiers is made at the expense of the Ministry of Defense. Reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone for other persons listed in the first part of this article is carried out by the appropriate state bodies in which military service is provided, by military formations created in accordance with the law in which they served, or by state bodies whose intelligence services were assisted by citizens of the Republic of Belarus, at the expense of funds allocated from the republican budget for their maintenance.

Reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone is made in the amount of the burial allowance.

The procedure for preparing documents, as well as for maintaining accounting and reporting on the reimbursement of expenses for the installation of a tombstone, is established by the relevant state bodies that provide for military service, by military formations created in accordance with the law, and by state bodies conducting foreign intelligence.

The burial plot, a place in the columbarium are provided on the basis of a written statement of the individual who has taken on the organization of the burial, a death certificate issued by the authorities registering civil status acts, or a medical death certificate (stillbirth).

The burial plot is provided free of charge by a specialized organization, village and rural executive committees, and special regional-level bodies:

• by the place of birth of the deceased;
• by the last place of residence or place of stay, at which the deceased was registered during life;(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)
• at the burial site next to the previously deceased spouse, close relatives;
• by the place of residence or place of stay, according to which the natural person who has taken on the organization of burial is registered.(as amended by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75-Z)

The burial plot specified in the second part of this article is provided in the amount of:

• a double burial guaranteeing burial on this plot for the deceased and, subsequently, the spouse (husband or wife) or one of close relatives;
• single burial in the case of interment of a deceased person who had no spouse, close relatives, a deceased whose identity was not established, as well as taking into account the deceased's expressed wishes and in other cases at the request of the person who has taken on the organization of the burial, and also if, according to the layout of the burial site, it is impossible to provide a plot for a two‑person burial.

The dimensions of burial plots provided free of charge are set by the local executive and administrative bodies of the basic territorial level, settlement and rural executive committees, special bodies of the regional level, and must be at least 2.3 meters in length and 2.0 meters in width — for a double burial; 2.3 meters in length and 1.4 meters in width — for a single burial.

The sizes of burial plots granted before the entry into force of this Law are determined by the legislation in force at the time of their allocation.

Burial within the boundaries of the provided burial plot on vacant spots or in family columbaria of deceased spouses, relatives, heirs, including urns with their ashes (cinders), as well as the reburial of the mentioned deceased in an existing grave is permitted provided that documents confirming marital, kinship, property relationships among the deceased are available, with appropriate registration of the performed burial or reburial by a specialized organization, settlement or rural executive committees, special regional-level bodies, and in the manner established by the Rules for the maintenance and improvement of burial sites.

Reservation of plots, as well as the allocation of burial plots that are not provided for by the second part of this article, including those allocated in accordance with the deceased's will or the wishes of persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, and also plots exceeding the established size of a burial plot provided free of charge, may be carried out by decision of a specialized organization, village or rural executive committees, special bodies at the regional level for a fee, payable as a one-time payment.

On the territory of burial sites, plots may be created that provide for the arrangement of family (clan) burials and crypts, on which the reservation of a plot (plots) for burial beyond the plot for burial provided free of charge is permitted. The reservation of such a plot (plots) is carried out in the procedure established by part seven of this article, upon a written application of a person who is the legal representative of the deceased or a spouse or one of the close relatives, heirs of the deceased. The application may specify the surnames and initials of the legal representative of the deceased or the spouse or close relatives, heirs of the deceased, for whose burial the plot (plots) is being reserved. Each reserved burial plot is assigned an account number, and the reserved plot (plots) for burial is registered by a specialized organization, settlement or rural executive committees, special regional-level bodies for the citizen who submitted the application. In the event of the death of the citizen whose burial plot (plots) is registered, its re-registration is carried out in the manner established by this part. In the event of the citizen’s refusal, whose reserved burial plot (plots) is registered, to the reserved plot (plots) for burial, the fee for its reservation by the specialized organization, settlement or rural executive committees, special regional-level bodies is not returned.

Provision and reservation of places in the columbarium are carried out on a fee basis by decision of a specialized organization, village and rural executive committees, and special bodies at the regional level.

The procedure for providing and reserving for a fee places in the columbarium, built at the expense of the budget, burial plots specified in part seven of this article, the maximum sizes and number of such plots and places in the columbarium, as well as the amount of the fee for their provision and reservation, are established by the local executive and administrative bodies of the basic territorial level in accordance with the standard rules for the provision and reservation for a fee of burial plots and columbarium places.

Monetary funds received by specialized organizations from the provision and reservation of burial plots, columbarium spaces, remain at the disposal of these organizations and are used for the improvement of burial sites, reconstruction, construction, current or major repair of columbariums and other capital structures (buildings, facilities) intended for the burial of the deceased, acquisition of special equipment and other apparatus used for the ongoing maintenance and operation of burial sites, as well as for other purposes in accordance with the legislation in the field of burial and funeral affairs.

Burial of military personnel, conscripts, those called up for military training, persons of the commanding and enlisted ranks of the internal affairs bodies, the Investigative Committee, the State Committee of Forensic Expertise, the financial investigation bodies of the State Control Committee, the bodies and units for emergency situations, prosecutorial workers, judges, who died while performing duties of military service (service duties) or at military training, as a result of injury (contusion), wound, trauma or disease, as well as war veterans and citizens of the Republic of Belarus who died after discharge from military service, from service in the internal affairs bodies with the right to a pension, and in other bodies and organizations specified in this part, may be carried out at burial sites created in accordance with the second part of article 18 of this Law.

State bodies and other organizations, taking into account the merits of the deceased before the state and society, have the right to petition the specialized organization, settlement and rural executive committees, and special bodies at the regional level for the burial of the deceased on a burial site area created in accordance with the second part of article 18 of this Law.

On the territories of the evacuation (exclusion) zone, the priority resettlement zone, the subsequent resettlement zone, from which the population has been relocated and where a checkpoint regime is established, the provision and reservation of burial plots and columbarium spaces are carried out by the special regional‑level authorities in the manner prescribed by this article.

Burial can be carried out in one of the following ways:

• laying of the body (remains) of the deceased into the earth (placement of the body (remains) of the deceased in coffins (sarcophagi) into the ground at a cemetery, crypt);
• cremation of the body (remains) of the deceased (cremation with subsequent placement of an urn with ash (cinders) in a columbarium, earth in a cemetery, a tomb).

The burial depth in cemeteries should be determined according to local climatic conditions, soil type and the level of the groundwater. The burial depth in coffins (sarcophagi) should be at least 1.5 meters.

Transportation of bodies (remains) of the deceased or urns with ashes (dust) to the burial site is carried out by specialized or other transport, except for transport used for the carriage of food products and food raw materials.

In order to prevent the spread of such infectious diseases as natural smallpox, plague, cholera, yellow fever, melioidosis, anthrax, SAP, Lassa fever, Marburg, Ebola, the burial of those who have died from these diseases is carried out in zinc‑coated, hermetically sealed coffins. In the specified cases it is prohibited to bring a coffin into residential houses and to open it for farewells.

Burial of persons with implanted radionuclide sources can be carried out only after these sources have been removed.

Unauthorized burials and reburials, including burials in places not intended for burials, or by means not provided for by this Law, are prohibited.

In the absence of documents confirming the identity of the deceased, health care organizations and the bodies of the State Committee for Forensic Expertise forward information about the deceased to the interior ministry and the Investigation Committee division for conducting measures to identify the unidentified corpse.

In the event that the identity of the deceased is established and there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, and in the absence of information about the deceased's expressed will, as provided in accordance with Article 27 of this Law, state health organizations and the bodies of the State Committee of Forensic Examinations are entitled to transfer the unclaimed body (remains) of the deceased located in the morgue:

• to a specialized organization for burial — after forty‑five days from the day the cause of death is established;
• to the morgue of a state organization designated by the Ministry of Health for subsequent use in educational purposes — after ten days from the date the cause of death is established. The use of such a body (remains) of the deceased for educational purposes is permitted after forty‑five days from the date the cause of death is established and is carried out in the manner prescribed by the Ministry of Health.

In case the identity of the deceased is established and there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, and there is information about the deceased's expressed will, provided in accordance with Article 27 of this Law, state health organizations and the bodies of the State Committee of Forensic Examinations shall transfer the unclaimed body (remains) of the deceased located in the morgue to a specialized organization for burial after forty-five days from the day the cause of death is established.

In the event that the identity of the deceased is not established and there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, state health organizations, the organs of the State Committee for Forensic Examinations, after forty‑five days from the day the cause of death is determined, transfer the unclaimed body (remains) of the deceased located in the morgue to a specialized organization for burial.

If not otherwise provided by part eight of this article, the burial of the deceased whose identity is not established, and of those who die without persons having taken on the organization of burial, shall be carried out by a specialized organization within 24 hours from the moment of transfer of bodies (remains) and the date of receipt from state health organizations or the State Committee for Forensic Expertise authorities of a written request for burial and a medical death certificate (stillbirth) with an attachment of the internal affairs authority's permission for burial (for the deceased whose identity is not established) or a document confirming the identity of the deceased (for those who die without persons having taken on the organization of burial).

The specialized organization provides:

• preparation of documents required for burial;
• manufacture and delivery of a wooden coffin without finishing, or with finishing of upholstery fabrics and (or) non-woven materials, or with other types of finishing and a casket, cross, identification post;
• clothing and placement of the body (remains) of the deceased into a coffin;
• performing cremation and placing the ashes (remains) into an urn;
• transportation of the body (remains) of the deceased or an urn with ashes (dust) to the burial site;
• burial of the body (remains) of the deceased or an urn with ash (cinders);
• drafting and sending to the internal affairs bodies an act on the burial of unclaimed bodies (remains) of the deceased and unidentified corpses for inclusion in the centralized republican register of information on buried deceased in the absence of persons who have taken on the organization of burial, and unidentified corpses in the procedure established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The specialized organization, village and rural executive committees, and special regional-level bodies determine the sectors in burial sites for interring the deceased whose identity is unknown, and the deceased when there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, as well as the method of burial of the mentioned deceased.

Burial of urns containing the ashes (cremains) of deceased persons whose identity is not established, and of deceased persons when there are no persons who have taken on the organization of the burial, is carried out in common graves three years after cremation. During the specified period, the urns with ashes (cremains) of such deceased must be stored in a special room of the crematorium or another special room determined by a specialized organization, settlement or rural executive committees. For the placement of common graves for the burial of urns with ashes (cremains), a plot the size of a single burial is provided, except in cases where the burial site layout does not provide for a plot the size of a single burial. In a common grave, simultaneous burial of 20 to 40 urns with ashes (cremains) is allowed.

Reburial of bodies (remains) of the deceased, urns with ash (dust) is performed in case:

• relocation of burial place;
• statements of the spouse (husband/wife) or close relatives;
• relocation of previously unidentified graves;
• the necessity of extracting the body (remains) of the deceased (exhumation) in accordance with legislative acts;
• adoption of the decision provided for by the sixth paragraph of article 23 of this Law.(paragraph introduced by the Law of the Republic of Belarus of 04.01.2021 No. 75‑Z)

Reburial of bodies (remains) of the deceased, based on a statement from the spouse or close relatives requesting reburial, may be carried out provided there is a death certificate and a conclusion from the authorities and institutions responsible for state sanitary supervision, within two weeks from the date of burial, and thereafter, as a rule, not earlier than three years from the burial (in sandy soils – not earlier than one year).

The extraction of bodies (remains) of the deceased, urns with ash (dust) is performed by workers of specialized organizations.

Extracted bodies (remains) of the deceased are transferred for reburial in coffins placed in boxes with lids. If the coffin in which the burial was performed is not preserved, its remains are destroyed in the crematorium. The extraction of bodies (remains) of the deceased, urns with ashes (dust) from a brotherly, group or common grave is permitted in case of reburial of all bodies (remains) of the deceased, urns with ashes (dust) buried in a brotherly, group or common grave.

In the case of extracting bodies (remains) of the deceased, the area for burial in a cemetery or a crypt must be disinfected.

Persons engaged in reburial must be vaccinated against tetanus and anthrax, and also be provided with personal protective equipment.