Pittsburgh Cemeteries

The Art and Architecture of Death

John Subic tombstone

Another example of a typical Slavic tombstone with inscriptions in two languages—again, we suspect that “OUR SON” came with the stone, and the inscription in Slovenian was supplied to order. The cross was not originally blank: if we look very carefully, we can trace the faint outlines of a crucifix in shallow relief that has eroded almost completely away.

Jernej Malli tombstone

The cross has gone missing from this typical Slavic tombstone. The inscription is partly Slovenian and partly English; we suspect that “OUR FATHER” came with the stone, and the rest of the inscription was made to order.

Anton Planinsek

Google Translate identifies the epitaph “Rahla mu zemljica” as Slovenian, and translates it as “Loose earth.” Perhaps it is equivalent to “Dust thou art.” The cross-topped monuments favored by Slavs and Italians in Pittsburgh have an unfortunate habit of losing their crosses—a pity here especially, because the tombstone bears a fine folk-art relief of heavenly hands clasped.