I wrote on Facebook today: “Poor Yevgeny is probably not yet done decomposing, nor Vladimir Putin relaxing in the wake of all the fuss over the attempted mutiny and that most “unfortunate” plane crash . . . and already the political pundits are musing over the possibility of others out there who might be angry enough to take up where Yevgeny left off. Take some deep breaths, Vlad; this does not appear to be a good time to be caught napping.”

The pictures below are said to be of Prigozhin’s grave site. It is identified in the press as being in Porokhovskoye Cemetery in Saint Petersburg. But when I tried to locate that cemetery online, the only thing that came up was a Moscow cemetery with a similar name: Pokrovskoye. Most of the press photographs were subject to copyright and unable to be copied here, though I was able to capture the two below. And I did see that that very large monument (seen here from the back) features an enormous Russian Orthodox cross, with a carved Crucifix on the front, and writing that I believe to be in the old Church Slavonic alphabet, and thus indecipherable to me. But it is certainly impressive.

Recent reports are that there are many, both in and outside the military, who are supportive of the war in Ukraine, but critical of the way it is being run. These same people have recognized and applauded Prigozhin’s successes as contrasted to the poor showing of the regular Russian troops, and are becoming increasingly angry at his “removal.” Many also — despite the relentless propaganda to the contrary — accuse Putin of having engineered the “accident” resulting in the deaths of Prigozhin, six other members of the Wagner Group, and three flight crew members . . . accusations that mirror those of much of the free world. Some of those supporters were seen to have attended his funeral. Putin, of course, was noticeably absent.

So what Pandora’s Box did Putin open when he chose to deal with his old friend in the only way he knows how? Will he now have cause to regret not having taken care of business in a quieter, less spectacular manner . . . one that might have offered him some measure of deniability? Once more, we can only stay tuned for the next chapter of this ongoing Russian soap opera.

Until next time,
Brendochka
9/3/23