Funerals across Ukraine
XREQUIEM is a funeral home. We do not only bring the deceased home from abroad. We also arrange the funeral itself: the documents, the farewell hall, the priest, the hearse, the funeral items and the memorial meal. One team, from the first call to the last farewell. We work across all of Ukraine and arrange the funeral in any town or village.
When families need this service
Most often, families come to us when their loved one is being brought home from abroad and they do not know who will arrange the funeral in Ukraine. Sometimes it is different: the person died here, in Ukraine, but the relatives live in another city or another country and cannot arrange everything themselves.
In days like these it is hard to think about certificates, orders and arrangements. We take this on. One person works with you: your funeral agent. The agent knows what has been done and what comes next, and answers the phone at any time.
- The death was sudden, and you do not know where to begin.
- Your loved one is being brought home from abroad, and the funeral has to be ready when they arrive.
- The family lives far away and cannot be there in advance.
- You would like a church service, or a quiet farewell with close family only.
What we take care of
A funeral agent
One person handles everything: documents, transport, funeral items, the hall, the priest, the day of the funeral. You always know whom to call.
Documents
Registering the death, the death certificate, the certificates the cemetery needs. If the person died abroad, translation and recognition of the foreign documents in Ukraine.
Preparing the body
Washing, dressing and preparing the deceased for the farewell, only with the family's consent. Read more
Farewell hall
A quiet room for the farewell. We prepare the hall and provide candles, flowers and a coordinator for the ceremony.
Priest
We will arrange for a priest of your denomination to lead a funeral service, a memorial service (panakhyda), or prayers at the cemetery or at home.
Hearse and transport for relatives
A hearse to the church and to the cemetery, and a bus for the family and guests. See our fleet.
Funeral items
Coffin, cross, wreaths, ribbons with inscriptions, a pall, a pillow, clothing, candles and grave lamps.
Memorial meal
A meal after the funeral, on the 9th or 40th day, or on the anniversary: the venue, the menu and the service.
Support on the day of the funeral
We coordinate everything: when the hearse leaves, where it stops, who welcomes the guests. You do not need to keep track of anything.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number works on Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram.
If your loved one is being brought home from abroad
When one team handles both the transport and the funeral, there is no gap between them. We know when the deceased will cross the border and at what time they will arrive in town, so the hall, the priest and the hearse are ready for exactly that time. The family does not have to coordinate two different companies. What to prepare at home while the deceased is on the way is in the article How to arrange a funeral.
What you should know about the documents:
- The death of a Ukrainian citizen abroad is registered by the Ukrainian consul. The consul charges no fee for the registration or for the first death certificate.
- At registration, the consul issues a certificate for the social protection authorities. With it, the family can apply for the funeral allowance.
- After registration, the documents of the deceased are returned to the person accompanying the body or sent through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
- A foreign death certificate is recognised in Ukraine if it carries an apostille or has been legalised. For the civil registry office (DRACS), it is submitted together with a certified translation into Ukrainian.
We keep track of all this during the repatriation of the body, so that not a single paper is missing at home. The full list is on the Arranging the documents page.
Farewell hall
Saying goodbye at home does not suit every family, and it is not always possible to gather everyone in a church. A farewell hall is a quiet room where relatives and friends can be together, whatever the weather.
Before the ceremony we prepare the hall: we place the coffin, candles, flowers and stands for wreaths. A coordinator welcomes the family and guests and helps with the order of the farewell, and after the ceremony we tidy the hall. If you wish, we will invite a priest, arrange music or someone to lead the ceremony, and allow more time.
Priest and church service
For many families in Ukraine, a funeral without the church is unthinkable. We arrange for a priest of the right denomination (Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic or another) and agree a time that matches the arrival of the deceased.
- A funeral service in church before the burial.
- A memorial service (panakhyda) at home, in the farewell hall or in church.
- Prayers at the cemetery.
- Reading of the Psalter until the day of the funeral, if the family wishes.
If you have your own parish priest, just give us the name and we will get in touch.
Funeral items
We will help you choose everything needed for the farewell and the burial, in line with your family's traditions and budget:
- a coffin: wooden, lacquered or upholstered in fabric;
- a cross with a name plate;
- wreaths and ribbons with inscriptions;
- a pall, a pillow, burial clothing;
- candles and grave lamps;
- an urn, if you are burying ashes.
If the deceased has been brought from abroad, they are already in a hermetically sealed coffin with a metal liner. Whether a farewell with the coffin open is possible, or whether another coffin is needed for the burial, we will advise once we know how the body was prepared for the journey. More on the Coffins and sealed metal liners page.
Memorial meal
The memorial meal is a time when family and friends can be together and remember the person. We arrange the meal on the day of the funeral, on the 9th or 40th day after the death, or on the anniversary.
We will help you choose the place (at home, in a café or a restaurant), make arrangements with the venue, and agree the number of guests and the menu. The traditional menu is kutia (sweet wheat with poppy seeds and honey), borscht and uzvar (a dried-fruit drink). We can also arrange a Lenten menu if the church calendar requires it or the family prefers it. The price of the meal is calculated separately: it depends on the number of guests, the venue and the menu.
Where we work
Where we work. Our services are available across all of Ukraine: the farewell, the burial, transport of the deceased, a hearse, transport for relatives, funeral goods and the organisation of the whole ceremony. The XREQUIEM office is at 16/1 Andreia Sheptytskoho St, Drohobych, Ukraine. The hearse fare to the venue depends on the address, and we confirm the amount before the hearse sets off. And when we bring the body from abroad, transport to any city in Ukraine is already included in the price.
We bring the deceased from abroad to any town, city or village in Ukraine. Tell us the town and the date during the first conversation, and we will agree the order of steps and the price in advance. How to move the deceased between cities in Ukraine is explained in the article How to move the deceased to another city in Ukraine, and how to bury an urn in Burying an urn with ashes in Ukraine.
16/1 Andreia Sheptytskoho St, Drohobych, Ukraine
GRG group office in Kyiv: 5 Mykilsko-Slobidska St, office 212, Kyiv 02000, Ukraine.
How much a funeral costs
A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. We price it separately from the repatriation of the body from abroad. The price depends on what the family needs:
- the kind of farewell: a church service, a farewell hall, a farewell at home;
- the cemetery and the burial plot;
- the coffin, cross, wreaths and other funeral items;
- transport for relatives and the distance;
- the memorial meal.
We draw up the funeral estimate together with you, based on your choices. Call us: we will ask what you need, work out the cost and call you back with an estimate.
Questions about arranging a funeral
Is the funeral included in the price of repatriation from abroad?
No. The repatriation prices cover the whole journey of the deceased home. We price the funeral separately, based on your choices: the hall, the priest, funeral items, the meal. You can order only the transport and arrange the funeral yourselves.
Do you work in my city?
Yes. We work across all of Ukraine: the farewell, the burial, a hearse, transport of the deceased and of relatives, funeral goods. We serve any town at your address and on your date. The hearse fare to the venue depends on the address, and we name the amount before departure. When we bring the body from abroad, delivery to any city in Ukraine is already included in the price.
What should we do first if the person died at home?
Call us at any time. We will tell you whom to call, which documents to obtain and what to prepare. Then the agent will come to you and take care of everything.
How do we plan the funeral if the deceased is still abroad?
As soon as we know the day the vehicle leaves, we book the hall and arrange the priest and the cemetery for the time the deceased arrives. You receive a single plan with a time for every step.
Can we order only some of the services?
Yes. You can order, for example, only the hearse, the farewell hall or the memorial meal, and do the rest yourselves. For a farewell with the coffin open after the journey, see Coffins and sealed metal liners.
Will you invite the priest from our church?
Yes. Tell us the parish or the priest's name, and we will get in touch and agree a time. If you do not have your own priest, we will suggest whom to approach.
Can an urn with ashes be buried?
Yes. If the ashes are coming from abroad, we will bring the urn home (from €100, depending on the country) and help with the burial: a place in a cemetery, a priest, the farewell.
Can we receive the funeral allowance if the person died abroad?
When the death is registered, the Ukrainian consul issues a certificate for the social protection authorities. It is needed to apply for the funeral allowance. We will tell you where to take it.
How do you work out the price, and when do we pay?
We draw up the estimate in advance, together with you, and set down what it includes. We add nothing without your consent. We agree how and when to pay during the first conversation.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request to arrange a funeral
Tell us what you need, and we will draw up an estimate together with you.
Thank you. We will call you back. For urgent matters, please call: +380 77 882 77 77.