April 14, 2024

Putting the "Coup" in "Cool Statue"


Putting the "Coup" in "Cool Statue"
Of all the people to memorialize... Wagner Group, Telegram.

A new statue in Krasnodar region is dedicated to a pair of fallen military leaders. While that's pretty run-of-the-mill, the appearance of this specific bronze-cast duo is bound to raise eyebrows.

The statue depicts Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitri Utkin, leaders of the Russian private military corporation (PMC) Wagner Group. The pair stand on a plinth in battle gear. The pedestal is marked with their radio callsigns and dog tag numbers.

While Prigozhin and Utkin were (emphasis on "were") part of Russia's War on Ukraine, they were also famously critical of the Russian armed forces. This criticism reached a high point with Wagner's march on Moscow, which fizzled out quickly.

Wagner was subsequently moved out of the front line, disappearing from combat. Shortly after, both Prigozhin and Utkin were conveniently killed in an aircraft crash while en route to Moscow.

The new statue-memorial stands in front of Wagner Group's chapel and was proudly posted on the PMC's Telegram channel, even as Wagner has been somewhat disgraced since their untimely deaths.

You Might Also Like

Wagner Group Still Allowed
  • June 26, 2023

Wagner Group Still Allowed

After Wagner Group's uprising, the State Duma announced new regulations, but did not ban the organization.
Prigozhin's Uprising
  • June 24, 2023

Prigozhin's Uprising

Russia's home-grown mercenaries have taken over Rostov-on-Don and threaten to march on the capital.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955