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Cottages in the cemetery of Serbia
It may seem that this is a normal residential area in the Serbian village Smoljinac. But coming closer, you can see the crosses and graves and cottages in pastel shades is a local family crypts. Within one or several rooms, large Windows, on the walls hang signs with the names of deceased relatives. The rooms have furniture, a place to store wreaths and funeral merchandise, and the family vault below. Some even have electricity inside. “We need a roof over your head to sit down and drink coffee when we visit our dead,” said one woman who refused to identify themselves. The cost of such construction varies, but the average is about 4,000 euros ($4,372). Such buildings are illegal, but the Serbian Orthodox Church mostly turns a blind eye to them, since many of the owners are major philanthropists.