Nephews have filled the grave after inheriting the estate: here's how the resting place of Soviet pop star Zykin looks now.

Ludmila Zykina was a renowned Soviet singer, famous for her hit "The Volga River Flows" and countless other songs. She was a true star of her era, facing a challenging fate. The artist passed away in the summer of 2009, and in 2012, a beautiful monument was erected at her grave.

"Telegraf" will share how Ludmila Zykina's grave looks now and why fans are not allowed to tend to it.

Ludmila Zykina — where she is buried and what her grave looks like

Ludmila Zykina was a genuine star of the Russian stage. She was born on June 10, 1929, in Moscow, and showed an interest in singing from a young age. Her father dreamed of her becoming a pilot, but fate had other plans — Zykina won the hearts of Soviet people with her songs. Her repertoire includes around two thousand compositions, many of which are folk songs, including the hit "The Volga River Flows," which was known by everyone in the Soviet Union. The artist received numerous Soviet awards and accolades, and she also toured extensively abroad with her choir.

The singer passed away at the age of 80 on July 1, 2009, in Moscow. Zykina suffered from diabetes for a long time, and shortly before her death, she also experienced a heart attack. She was buried with military honors at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

In July 2012, a monument was erected at Ludmila Zykina's grave, created by Armenian sculptor Friedrich Sogoyan. It features a bronze figure of the singer set on a horizontal pedestal made of polished gray granite. The monument has her name inscribed on one side and the dates of her birth and death engraved and gilded on the other. The sculpture depicts Ludmila Zykina in a concert outfit — a floor-length dress, her hair styled neatly, with her hands folded.

In 2023, information surfaced online that the grave of the Soviet star remains abandoned and unkempt. When fans attempted to take care of the burial site, the cemetery administration prohibited them from doing so.

It turned out that according to the rules, only heirs are allowed to maintain graves at Novodevichy Cemetery. Since Ludmila Zykina had no children, only her nieces and nephews could tend to her grave. However, the singer's niece passed away a few years ago, and her nephew Sergey, who inherited most of her estate, has neglected the grave. In fact, no one among her acquaintances knows where he is now.

Previously, "Telegraf" reported on who inherited the billion-dollar estate of Alexander Gradsky. They were dividing the property while the grave was overgrown with weeds.