Funeral of the head of the Russian mercenaries Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash last Sunday, was held yesterday in the circle of his family at the cemetery in the suburbs of his hometown of St. Petersburg, his press service announced yesterday.
"Farewell to Yevgeny Prigozhin was closed. Those who want to say goodbye can visit the Porohovskoye cemetery," said a short post on Telegram along with a picture of Prigozhin.
The organization of the funeral of Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash on August 23, exactly two months after he organized the rebellion that posed the greatest threat to the rule Vladimir Putin since he came to power in 1999, it has been kept secret.
Earlier media reports about the funeral mentioned other cemeteries in the city.
A private funeral, away from the public eye, is in stark contrast to Prigozhin's reckless self-promoting lifestyle, Reuters points out. The Russian portal MSK1.RU, referring to the statements of the undertaker, announced that a private funeral ceremony was the wish of Prigozhin's family.
Earlier yesterday, the Kremlin announced that Putin would not attend the funeral. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin was not aware of the plans for the funeral, stressing that it was a family matter. "The presence of the president is not foreseen," said Peskov.
Two of Wagner's bosses, four of Prigozhin's bodyguards and three crew members were also killed when his private plane, the Embraer Legacy 600, crashed north of Moscow under still unknown circumstances.
Valery Chekalov, head of the mercenary logistics, was buried at the Severnoye cemetery in St. Petersburg yesterday in the presence of his family and dozens of people, some of whom were identified by Reuters as Wagner's mercenaries and employees of Prigozhin's business empire.
An Orthodox priest led a prayer before Chekalov's family, friends and former colleagues said goodbye to him, Reuters reported. Some, including women and children, kissed the coffin. Unidentified mourners in the funeral procession ordered a Reuters cameraman to stop filming.
Yesterday, the White House almost declared the Kremlin responsible for the death of Prigozhin and his associates.
"We all know that the Kremlin has a long history of killing opponents," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The Kremlin has previously categorically denied that it ordered the assassination of the Wagner bosses, calling assessments by Western intelligence services about Putin's possible involvement an "absolute lie."
Prigozhin refused to hand over direct control of his mercenaries to the state, despite Putin's request during a Kremlin meeting in June.
After Prigozhin's death, Putin ordered Wagner fighters to sign an oath of loyalty to the Russian state - something Prigozhin opposed because of his anger at the defense ministry, which he claimed risked losing the war in Ukraine.
While trying to avoid a pompous funeral for the man Putin branded a traitor over the June uprising, the Kremlin could not afford to downplay Prigozhin, who was once awarded Russia's highest honor for leading Wagner's forces in Ukraine and is revered in the country. a large number of people.
Putin's comments on the death of Prigozhin, according to the Associated Press agency, reflect a cautious attitude. He pointed out last Sunday that Wagner's leaders "made a significant contribution" to the struggles in Ukraine, and described Prigozhin as a "talented businessman" and "a man of difficult fate" who "made serious mistakes in his life."
Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, pointed out that Prigozhin has gained the status of a legend among his supporters who increasingly criticize the authorities.
"Prigozhin's funeral opens up the issue of communication between the bureaucratic system of the Russian government, which has no particular political potential, and the politically active patriotic segment of the Russian public," said Markov.
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