Russia Mourns the Death of Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich
The famed Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich died in Moscow on Friday, just one month after celebrating his 80th birthday. He was also known as a conductor and human rights crusader. It was not immediate known what the cause of death was. The musician had been getting treatment at the country’s lading cancer clinic over the past few months.
It had been reported in February that Rostropovich was bring treated at the Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center. He was in serious condition after having a tumor removed from his liver.
The public was invited to pay its respects from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The Conservatory is the traditional place for memorial services to be held for famous musicians. The body will then be moved to Christ the Savior Cathedral. It will lie in state overnight there from 10 pm on. The funeral services are at 11 am Sunday in the lower church at Christ the Savior Cathedral.
Rostropovich will be buried at Novodevichye Cemetery according to the press office from the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center. He will be buried approximately 10 meters from Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first president and his friend. Yeltsin was buried there Wednesday.
He is survived by his wife and their two daughters, Olga and Yelena.
