Graves By The Road: Why Crosses And Monuments Are Erected On Highways, How Do Drivers Relate To This

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Graves by the road: why are crosses and monuments erected on highways?

Many drivers have noticed crosses or graves along the roads or at the entrance to the city. The attitude to such structures is different: they distract someone, someone has nothing against it and considers them a tribute to the dead. But why are they installed?

Why do they erect crosses and monuments near the roads?

The tradition of placing crosses along the roads originated many centuries ago. Even Princess Olga ordered to destroy pagan idols and put crosses, called cenotaphs, in their place. Crosses were also erected at intersections and at the entrance to cities located in remote lands. All this was supposed to mean the victory of Christianity over paganism.

A little later, the crosses received another meaning. The very tall buildings served as a landmark for travelers. Sometimes crosses showed the boundaries of large lands or told the traveler that he was entering the city, which means that he had to pray to God that the difficult path was over.

But more often such crosses are commemorative. In former times, they were erected on the site of battles or in honor of some special events (Ivan the Terrible, for example, erected a building in honor of the birth of his son). Today, crosses and even entire monuments are erected in fatal accidents. Such graves usually turn out to be empty - the remains of a person are buried in a cemetery, there is only a tombstone near the road, reminiscent of death.

Crosses and monuments are erected in honor of those who died at this place in an accident

The opinion of drivers and the church

Drivers don't like this tradition very much. A cross or even a whole tombstone with wreaths distracts the person who is driving, and can make them plunge into gloomy thoughts, which is unacceptable while driving. But on this issue, there is another opinion: someone believes that the crosses remind of death, which can comprehend everyone, and make you be more attentive.

The Orthodox Church has a negative attitude towards such monuments.

Crosses by the roads are a long tradition; at different times they had different meanings. Today, monuments are erected at the scene of an accident in memory of the victims.