Face polish and formalin from the inside: We asked funeral directors how they bury the dead in 40-degree heat. Heat is not only hard for the living to bear, but soaring temperatures also complicate the farewell to the dead.

As Elena Shevchenko, head of the Voznesenie Funeral Services Center, told Life.ru, during periods of high temperatures, mortality does increase; older people and those suffering from cardiovascular diseases die more often.

‘If the heat lasts for a long time, more people definitely die. Sudden pressure drops, heat strokes, all this has an effect,’ the specialist explains.

In addition, in the heat, bodies undergo natural decomposition faster. If you want to preserve the deceased for a home farewell, special treatment is required, cavity and arterial embalming using formalin.

In some cases, femoral artery embolisation is performed, which allows the body to be left at home even overnight. However, as the expert emphasises, it is better to avoid such practices in hot weather.

‘I do not recommend keeping the body at home. Let it be in the refrigerator in the morgue as long as possible. And before the farewell, in the hall for a maximum of half an hour to preserve the appearance,’ advises Shevchenko.

Special attention is also paid to posthumous makeup. In hot weather, cream cosmetics are not used, only dry textures. Sometimes the makeup is fixed with hairspray, avoiding contact with eyelashes and eyebrows.

‘We simply cover our entire face with varnish so that nothing runs from the heat,’ explains the interviewee.

The authors of the government assisted initiative emphasized that the cost of funeral services is constantly growing.

The minimum price of a burial reaches approximately €500 in remote regions and €1,000 in large cities.

The initiators consider the deduction a socially significant measure that can support families in difficult times. After all, funerals are always associated with large expenses.

The average cost includes a coffin, funeral services, transportation, and paperwork. For low-income families, such costs may be unbearable, especially if they lose their breadwinner. You can share this story on social media:

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