July 10, 2023

The Palace and Its Thousand Prigozhins


The Palace and Its Thousand Prigozhins
Wigs and money found at Yevgeny Pregozhin's Palace. Meduza, Telegram.

Following the failed mutiny by Yevgeny Pregozhin and his mercenary Wagner Group, Russian authorities began investigating the billionaire. The FSB raided his palace on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. Photos of what was inside the raided mansion were leaked, revealing a new side of "Putin's chef."

The former hotdog salesman's mansion was filled with luxuries, including an iconostasis and a "hospital room" equipped with a respirator – scarce in Russia during the COVID pandemic. Walls in the mansion were decorated with diplomas and awards, including one from St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov. A picture was leaked of a military coat on a mannequin bearing the "Hero of Russia" star, the country's highest honorary title. However, unlike other recipients of this medal, Prigozhin's award event was not publicized. Fontanka estimated that Prigozhin received it on June 20, 2022, slightly over a year before his uprising.

Despite having his house embellished with Kremlin praise, a sledgehammer engraved with "for important negotiations," and a map with pictures of decapitated heads were also found in Prigozhin's palace. Authorities found stacks of dollars, gold, guns, wigs, and fake passports.

Images of Prigozhin
Montage from RT's Twitter

Kremlin-affiliated media have leaked pictures of Prigozhin wearing multiple disguises. Social media users quickly compared his costumes to a Borat-knockoff. Russia Today, a government-sponsored media outlettweeted a meme with many Prigozhin disguises with the caption, "Choose your fighter (or new Tinder profile pic)." 

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed Prigozhin's return to Russia.

 

You Might Also Like

Scared and Suspicious
  • July 04, 2023

Scared and Suspicious

Nearly half of Russians distrust official information regarding the war in Ukraine.
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

Fearful Majesty

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.
White Magic

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.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

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.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, 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