STORY: Grave diggers from 19 teams competed to prove they were the fastest and best in the business on Saturday (September 5) in the northern Hungarian town of Nyergesujfalu.

The two-man teams frantically shovelled at the ground to dig precise, regulation-size graves as quickly as possible in heavy dust clouds.

In just over an hour, last year’s winning team finished their grave first.

"You can't prepare for this separately because we work every day; we are in this every day," said winner Laszlo Kiss.

Each grave was judged on neatness and whether it complied with the regulation size: 200 cm long, 80 cm wide and 160 cm deep.

The contest aims to improve the prestige of grave digging and attract young workers to a job that must still be done by hand in crowded graveyards where mechanical diggers cannot fit.

Hungarian Cemeteries Association President Jozsef Varga said the competition helps people understand the physical and psychological demands of the work, leading to greater respect for gravediggers.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: NYERGESUJFALU, HUNGARY (SEPTEMBER 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE VIEWS OF GRAVE DIGGING COMPETITION UNDERWAY

2. VARIOUS OF GRAVE DIGGERS COMPETING IN DIGGING GRAVES

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) PRESIDENT OF HUNGARIAN CEMETERIES ASSOCIATION, JOZSEF VARGA, SAYING:

“When the relatives arrive at the funeral, they only see the already dug grave; this is part of the service, but they don’t see what actually precedes it. And when the various videos (of the competition) and news became more widespread year by year, then they began to see how hard physical work it really is, how hard psychological stress it is also; then people started to accept this activity more and more, and they now have greater respect for the workers (gravediggers).”

4. VARIOUS OF WINNING TEAM FROM HAJDUBOSZORMENY TAKING TURNS IN DIGGING

5. GRAVEDIGGER SHOVELLING

6. WINNING TEAM FINISHING FIRST AND LEAVING GRAVE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) WINNER, LASZLO KISS SAYING:

“You can't prepare for this separately because we work every day; we are in this every day. There are weeks when there is more digging; recently there’s been less digging, but regardless, since we have been doing this for years, we can say that we have it in us. So if they wake up from their dream, we could do this.”

8. GRAVE DIGGING

9. PEOPLE WATCHING COMPETITION

10. GRAVE DIGGERS COMPETING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) WINNER, LASZLO KISS, SAYING:

“Of course we felt it (the drought) in our part of the country, at Hajdu-Bihar county in Boszormeny, we have to dig to a depth of 60-70 centimeters to get lighter soil; until we reach that, we have to suffer with the digging.”

12. VARIOUS OF GRAVE DIGGING COMPETITION UNDERWAY

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF RUSSIAN TEAM, ILINA OLGA BORISYAKUSHIN, SAYING:

“(We are here) just because we would like to have our international experience, to take part in these events and to see the others, the other countries, and to take some experience.”

14. VARIOUS OF JUDGES MEASURING GRAVE

15. VARIOUS OF DIGGERS COVERING GRAVES

16. VARIOUS OF WINNERS HOLDING TROPHIES

17. GRAVE DIGGERS WASHING OFF DUST AND SHOWING OFF