Final resting place of Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner warlord is buried next to his father in the grave, surrounded by flowers in a low-key ceremony – after Putin refused to attend the funeral
The grave of dead Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has first been noticed, after a small private funeral for him that Vladimir Putin refused to attend.
Red, white and yellow flowers were seen atop a wooden grave, heavily guarded by armed police and private security, in a cemetery on the outskirts of St Petersburg.
The photos were taken during a small private ceremony for Prigozhin held Tuesday at a cemetery on the outskirts of his hometown of St Petersburg.
A message, left in a picture frame that rests on Prigozhin’s tombstone, quotes a Bible verse and reads: “Mother says to Christ: Are you my son or my God?” You’re nailed to the cross, how am I supposed to go home?
“How will I step on the threshold, not understanding, not deciding: are you my son or God? That is, dead or alive.
He was reportedly buried next to his father in the small cemetery on the outskirts of St. Petersburg
Red, white and yellow flowers were seen atop a wooden grave in a cemetery on the outskirts of St Petersburg
A biblical message was left in a picture frame leaning on Prigozhin’s tombstone
Yavgeny Prigozhin (pictured) was killed in an alleged plane crash last week, two months after he staged a coup against Putin
Many around the world pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin (pictured) as the person who ordered his death
He says in response: Dead or alive, no difference, woman. Son of God, I am yours,” the written message concludes.
“The parting of Yevgeny Viktorovich took place in closed form. Those who want to say goodbye can visit the Porokhovskoye cemetery,” it said in a short message on Telegram.
There was secrecy surrounding the violent warlord’s funeral, which was reportedly attended only by close friends and relatives.
Heavy security was involved throughout the ceremony, with several guards and what appear to be metal detectors.
He was reportedly buried next to his father in the cemetery.
A Russian news channel, MSK1.RU, quoted cemetery staff as saying that the privacy of the ceremony was in line with his family’s wishes.
His burial took place in a small cemetery on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, his hometown
Only close friends and relatives attended the small, private ceremony
There was much speculation about whether Russia’s autocratic leader Vladimir Putin would attend the funeral of the leader of the Wagner group.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously declined to comment on whether Putin would attend Prigozhin’s funeral, stating simply: “All I can say is that the president has a rather busy schedule at the moment.”
The Kremlin later said that Putin would not attend the funeral, despite the couple having a close relationship leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Prigozhin was killed in an alleged plane crash last week, two months after he staged a coup against Putin.
Armed police mapped the area during the ceremony
During the ceremony, metal detectors and heavy security were seen mourning the dead warlord
Police were seen inspecting and guarding the grave of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the dead Wagner head
Two other top Wagner figures, four Prigozhin bodyguards and three crew members also died in the plane crash
Two other of Wagner’s top figures, four Prigozhin bodyguards and three crew members were also killed when his Embraer Legacy 600 private jet crashed north of Moscow.
Many around the world pointed the finger at Putin as the person who ordered his death.
The Kremlin has dismissed as an “absolute lie” the suggestion that Putin ordered his death in revenge for the uprising, which saw Wagner’s troops and tanks entering the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don en route to Moscow.
Prigozhin and his mercenary group were sent to Belarus after an agreement was reached between himself and the Kremlin, brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, that allowed him to walk away without any charges against his name.
While his funeral has taken place and genetic testing by the Russian Commission of Inquiry has seemingly confirmed that he had indeed died on the ill-fated flight north of Moscow, this has not stopped some from claiming that Prigozhin is still alive.
Dr. Valery Solovey, a Russian political analyst, claims the warlord is “alive, free and well.”
“First, the plane Yevgeny Prigozhin was supposed to be flying in was shot down by a Russian air defense system,” he said, disputing claims by U.S. intelligence agencies that the plane was destroyed by an onboard explosion.
“There was no explosion on board. It was brought down from the outside.”
The covert operation to carry out this attack “was developed in the (Russian) Security Council, and was personally sanctioned by the Russian President (Vladimir Putin),” he claimed.
Earlier today, the latest photos emerged of the Wagner chief taking selfies with locals in what is believed to be Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.
The mercenary leader, who had traded his typical military gear for plain civilian clothes, was surrounded by beaming locals who seemed excited to meet the Russian oligarch, posing for photos, shaking hands and embracing the infamous figure.
The fate of the Wagner group is currently unknown, and many interested groups are speculating about what will happen to the private military company, which was founded in 2014.
Putin forced Wagner fighters to swear allegiance to Russia just days after reports of their leader’s death emerged.
The wording of the oath includes a rule forcing oath-takers to strictly follow the orders of commanders and senior Russian leaders.