Love for Russia and revenge on Ukraine took center stage at the farewell service for Darya Dugina (29), Tuesday at the Ostankino Television Center in Moscow. Dugina, daughter of the ultra-nationalist thinker Aleksandr Dugin, was killed on Saturday evening when the car she was driving exploded. According to the Russian security service FSB, which presented a detailed investigation about the perpetrator remarkably quickly, Ukraine is behind the attack.
Also read: Skepticism grows about claiming the attack on Darya Dugina
According to Dugin, his daughter died “for the people, for Russia”. Dugin: “She lived for the victory, and she died for the victory. Our Russian victory, our truth, our Orthodox faith, our state.” Dugin has been proclaiming for years that Russia should annex Ukraine and is an advocate of the war against that country. Dugina worked as a publicist and political commentator, sharing her father’s beliefs.
‘Our Joan of Arc’
The service received a lot of attention on state television – one commentator spoke of “our Joan of Arc” – and was attended by many Kremling-minded businessmen, politicians and TV commentators. The leaders of the three main pro-Putin parties in the Duma made speeches praising Dugina as a martyr and patriot.
Leonid Slutsky, leader of the right-wing party LDPR, called on Russians for unity with “One country, one president, one victory.” On social media, the kinship with the Nazi slogan “One people, one empire, one leader” was immediately pointed out. There was also amazement on social media about Dugina’s unscathed face in the open coffin after explosion and fire destroyed her car.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of August 24, 2022