Brawl Erupts at Russian Cemetery as Roma Crowd Steals Food, Attacks Police

A post-Easter gathering at a cemetery in southern Russia turned violent when a group of intoxicated individuals reportedly stole food from gravesites and attacked responding police officers.

The incident occurred on April 28 in the town of Zelenokumsk, where a large crowd of men and women, identified by local media as members of the Roma community, gathered for an unauthorized feast on cemetery grounds. The group allegedly helped themselves to traditional Easter foods—such as kulichi (Easter cakes)—that had been left on graves by local families in accordance with Orthodox custom.

In Russia, it is a long-standing tradition to visit cemeteries in the days following Orthodox Easter, particularly on Radonitsa (the "Day of Rejoicing"), to honor deceased loved ones. Families often bring food, including decorated eggs and sweet breads, which they place on graves as offerings in remembrance of the departed.

When law enforcement officers arrived and asked the crowd to disperse, tensions escalated. The group reportedly became aggressive and assaulted the officers, prompting the need for police reinforcements.

Authorities detained several individuals at the scene. Three were issued administrative citations for disorderly conduct, while criminal charges are being considered against another participant involved in the assault on police.

Local officials have not reported any serious injuries among law enforcement.

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The Romani people ( ROH-mə-nee or ROM-ə-nee), also known as the Roma (sg.: Rom), are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence reveal that the Romani people originated in South Asia, likely in the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh. Their westward migration occurred in waves, with the first wave believed to have to have taken place sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are believed to have first arrived in Europe sometime between the 7th and 14th centuries. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are believed to be in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia. In the English language, Romani people have long been known by the exonym Gypsies or Gipsies and this remains the most common English term for the group. Some Roma use and embrace this term while others consider it to be derogatory or an ethnic slur