Building a Crematorium Network Across Russia
Yegor Bryksin, the son of Russian Federation Council Senator Alexander Bryksin from the Kursk region, is spearheading plans to establish the largest private crematorium network in the country. His company, Kemerovo Funeral Center (KFC), recently finalized a deal to purchase an existing crematorium in Tomsk from Sovcombank, marking a major step toward that goal. The transaction closed in late April 2026, and the new owners are now eyeing expansion.
The co-owners of KFC include:
- Alexei Nikiforov
- Maxim Cherkasov
- Yegor Bryksin
- Kirill Vladimirov
Nikiforov and Cherkasov each hold a 25% stake, Bryksin owns 25%, and Vladimirov retains the remaining 25%. Construction of a crematorium in Kemerovo began in 2022 on an 8-hectare site, but funding stalled by the end of 2023, forcing the project into preservation mode.
Cremation Trends in Tomsk
The Tomsk crematorium, which started operations in October 2022, has already performed roughly 6,500 cremations over three and a half years. Recent data shows the facility now handles about 150 procedures monthly, reflecting steady demand for funeral services. The Tomsk metropolitan area records an average of around 675 deaths per month.
Against this backdrop, Russia’s state budget for military funeral services hit a record high in 2025—exceeding 128 million rubles. This surge in spending underscores growing demand nationwide, which may further encourage investor interest in the sector.
'In Kuzbass and neighboring regions, a project to build the country’s largest private crematorium network is gaining momentum.' The Moscow Times
Other investors in the Kemerovo crematorium project include deputy Kirill Vladimirov and Alexei Suloiev, former director of Moscow’s state-owned funeral enterprise Ritual. KFC aims to broaden its footprint, eyeing potential sites in Siberian cities such as Barnaul and Novosibirsk.
The Kemerovo Funeral Center initiative highlights the increasing demand for funeral services across Russia, especially as government spending on military burials climbs. For investors like Bryksin and his partners, the steady need for these services across various regions points to promising business opportunities ahead.