Requiem service held 40 days after Rostropovich’s death

It has been 40 days since the death of legendary Russian musician Mstislav Rostropovich. According to Orthodox tradition, on that date the soul receives God's judgement to be allowed to go to heaven.

Close friends, politicians and cultural figures gathered at the Novodevichiy Cemetery to remember the great cellist. Rostropovich's wife, famous soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, came to a requiem ceremony with her family.

Naina Eltsina, whose husband, the first Russian President, is buried several meters away from the grave of Mstislav Rostropovich, also attended the service.

Mstislav Rostropovich died on April 27, just month after he turned 80.