There are many traditions that a wealthy Russian family at the turn of the century might have included as part of their mourning practices. A few of them include:

• Reading prayers and making the sign of the cross

• The sick or dying person would be laid out with their head in closest proximity to religion icons in the home.

• Branches of fir and juniper might be thrown along the funeral procession

• A tradition of  holding a feast for the dead three, nine, and forty days after the death. Possibly a final feast one year after the death.

• Graves are visited on a regular basis as a sign of respect for the dead

• "This ‘saintly’ land — Russian graves — defines homeland and roots the population to [the] area." (Michael Bouchard, "Graveyards: Russian ritual and belief pertaining to the dead.")

This helpful website explores Russian funeral traditions and their connection to folklore.