Penza, 24 June 2016. PenzaNews. The funeral service for the former Penza region governor, member of the Russian Federation Council Vasily Bochkarev, who passed away at the age of 67 on Wednesday, June 22, has concluded in “Penza” cinema and concert hall.

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The service began immediately at the end of the civil funeral service. It was attended by thousands of people from Penza and the region, including high-ranking officials from all over Russia, who came to pay their final respects to the ex-governor.

Those included the Pesidential Plenipotentiary Envoy in the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich, the head of Rossotrudnichestvo Lyubov Glebova, the Federation Council deputy for Tatarstan Ildus Akhmetzyanov, the Tatarstan State Council chairman Farid Mukhametshin, the State Duma chairman Igor Rudensky, the former Penza region Federation Council deputy Boris Shpigel, the Nizhny Novgorod region governor Valery Shantsev, the head of Mordovia Vladimir Volkov, the Orenburg region governor Yuri Berg, the head of the Samara region Nikolai Merkushin, the Perm Krai governor Victor Basargin, and others.

The Orthodox funeral ceremony was conducted by Mitred Archpriest, hegumen of the Assumption Cathedral Sergiy Loskutov, and attended by the Archbishop Veniamin of Orenburg and Saraktash, the Archbishop Serafim of Penza and Nizhny Novrgorod, the Archbishop Mitrofan of Serdobsk and Spassk, the Archbishop Nestor of Kuznetsk and Nikolsk, and other high-ranking members of the congregation.

During the ceremony, the empty space right before the stage where the coffin was standing became crowded with people, as well as passages between the seats, and even balconies and back space. Even though the hall was crammed and hot, the people were not dispersing.

At the end of the clerical ceremony, the people were asked to leave to allow Vasily Bochkarev’s relatives and close friends to pay their final respects to the deceased in private.

Several minutes later, the coffin with the body of the Penza region ex-governor was carried outside to the people who already lined up in two columns. The funeral procession, accompanied by a military brass orchestra, began to walk along Suvorova street.

It was headed by young men, children and university students, who were covering the road with rose petals and flowers; followed by military officers with wreaths. The procession proper was led by an army officer carrying Vasily Bochkarev’s portrait with a black funeral band.

After walking along Suvorova street, which was closed for traffic for the ceremony, the funeral procession proceeded to Nekrasova street, where the coffin was moved to the hearse.

Vasily Bochkarev will be buried at the Novo-Zapadnoye cemetery in Penza.