The activity of Rossotrudnichestvo in this area is determined by the Rules of work organization on the maintenance and preservation of burial sites located abroad that have historical and memorial significance for the Russian Federation (approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation №379 dated 31.05.2010), the Procedure for organizing work on the maintenance and preservation of burial sites located abroad that have historical and memorial significance (approved by the order Rossotrudnichestvo dated 02.06.2014 №0098-pr).
The Agency’s powers to preserve objects of historical and memorial significance are implemented in relation to memorial cemeteries, cemeteries, individual plots in common cemeteries, individual burials, individual graves in common cemeteries, outside cemeteries and in chapels, with the exception of military graves and new graves.
The selection of burial sites is carried out by the Government Commission on Compatriots Abroad. Rossotrudnichestvo carries out preliminary work, which includes identifying the burials of our outstanding compatriots abroad, expert assessment of their contribution to science, culture, art, spiritual life of Russia and the states where the burial sites are located, strengthening relations between Russia and foreign states and submitting proposals to the commission for further inclusion in the list of burial sites located abroad of historical and memorial significance for the Russian Federation (approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 11.11.2010 №1948-r).
The list includes burial sites located in 18 countries: Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Macedonia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Luxembourg and China.
In 2023, the Agency established an Expert Council on historical and memorial activities, whose members participate in the formation of proposals for the selection of burial sites and in the expert assessment of the contribution of buried persons to the culture, science, art, spiritual life of Russia and the states where the burial sites are located, in strengthening relations between Russia and foreign states.
The Expert Council includes representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, Rosarchiv, Rosmolodezh, Solzhenitsyn House of Russian Abroad, Russian Abroad Heritage Foundation, St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian State Library, Russian Historical Society, Russian Military Historical Society, Institute of Heritage named after D. Likhachev.