▁B ols he vik ▁authorities ▁d ug ▁a ▁large ▁pit ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁c emetery ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁common ▁grave ▁for ▁the ▁cre m ated ▁as hes ▁of ▁executed ▁political ▁prisoners ▁from ▁Joseph ▁St alin ' s ▁Great ▁Pur ge ; ▁the ▁site ▁was ▁intention ally ▁chosen ▁for ▁its ▁isol ation ▁from ▁normal ▁bur ial ▁sites ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁" sh ame ful " ▁history ▁as ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁consec r ated ▁ground ▁during ▁the ▁Ts ar ist ▁era , ▁which ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁had ▁rev oked ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁general ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁religion ▁in ▁the ▁USS R . ▁The ▁as hes ▁of ▁numerous ▁executed ▁prisoners , ▁both ▁common ▁and ▁high - ran king — including ▁not orious ▁figures ▁such ▁as ▁Nikol ai ▁Y ez hov , ▁Mik h ail ▁T uk h ache v sky , ▁Gr ig ory ▁K ul ik , ▁P avel ▁Alexand rov ich ▁Alexand rov ▁etc . ▁— ▁were ▁un cer emon iously ▁dump ed ▁here ▁until ▁the ▁grave ▁was ▁filled ▁and ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁The ▁pit ▁currently ▁be ars ▁two ▁markers , ▁one ▁ere cted ▁during ▁the ▁Soviet ▁era ▁and ▁simply ▁reading ▁" Common ▁Gra ve ▁Number ▁One : ▁Un c laimed ▁Ash es ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 0 - 4 2 ." ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁was ▁ere cted ▁after ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁reads ▁" Here ▁lie ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁the ▁innoc ent ▁vict ims ▁of ▁political ▁repr essions