The pictures below were made in a Moscow morgue that accepts corpses of old people who died a natural death. The morgue is related to a couple of districts only, that’s why it accepts zero-several bodies a day.

So, let us follow the true last path of a person. It all starts with death that can occur at home or in a hospital. Condition of the corpse that is taken to a mortuary will be determined by the fact how fast it was discovered by relatives or other people.

Then an ambulance and the police are called. The doctor states the fact of death and the body is taken to the mortuary. If a person dies in a hospital, no police are usually invited.

Accepting bodies.

The mortuary consists of two floors and a basement. The first refrigerator is not working due to low amount of bodies.

The table is made of granite. A body that needs to be cleaned is put on the table.

After that the body is measured to determine the sizes of a coffin which must be 20 cm longer than the body itself. Then the body is registered. The documents are delivered to a paramedic and the body is given a number instead of the name an alive person used to have.

Paramedics must take showers and clean their hands many times a day.

The register office is used by relatives who need to get death certificates.

A person can die suddenly or following an illness. Bodies are taken to a makeup room where they are made to look a little better.

The mortuary also sells coffins and accessories, organizes funerals, etc.

Coffins can be found everywhere, even in a WC.

The coffin on the right is intended for Muslims.

Coffins have different length and width.

If a person died under strange circumstances the body is sent for necropsy.

The instruments are used in necropsy.

The rigid block is put under the head.

Different samples are taken at necropsy.

The samples will be examined in laboratories situated on the 2nd floor.

Please, don’t knock at the door. No full-time porter is available here. The lock code and order of actions can be found out in the registry room on the first floor.

The person on duty sits on the 2nd floor.

Medical investigators.

Different laboratories.

Urgent biopsies

Immunohistochemistry laboratory

Histological examinations are carried out here.

How do you like the jungles?

The thin colored sections of bodies are examined to find out the reason of a person’s death.

Results of examinations.

Students attend the mortuary as well.

In spite of the fact the building has two floors only, an elevator is widely used.

In case you don’t feel like getting stuck with a dead body in the elevator and spend a night here, use the phone.

The room is used by paramedics.

The roof.

The basement.

The place is inhabited by cats.

The vacuum chamber is not used.

Old medical cards of those who died long time ago.

The underground tunnels connect all buildings of the hospital together.

The mortuary is under observation.

On the 3rd day and after all the procedures done the body is taken by the relatives who come to the corridor.

Paramedics say they are not frightened to work here and consider this job to be a regular one. So, let us cross our fingers and hope that neither we nor our beloved ones will be guests of the place for many and many other years.

Location: Moscow

via lana-sator