Prygiin: The Unknowing Life Story of Wagner Group Founder, A Move That Changed Everything

Russia has never lacked heroes, and Yevgeny Prigozhin's name should be among them. Yes, he is a hero full of contradictions, but the grand scale of his life, the dramatic twists, the intense conflicts, and the dramatic ups and downs are astonishing. This is an undeniable fact, for the following reasons...

The Gospel records the words of Jesus Christ: "But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). The Orthodox Church has a long and wise tradition that points out that as long as people live on this earth, they will always face temptations, struggles, and constant dangers.

Therefore, we do not sing the praises of saints while they are still alive. Even if someone lives a saintly life, we cannot predict how they will complete their earthly journey, nor can we know their final fate after death. People have free will, and at any moment, they may turn away from God, truth, and the right path. This free will accompanies people from birth to death, and within this freedom, people may also choose evil. A small shift could lead everything to chaos.

Heroes also have free will. We only call someone a hero after they have achieved "transformation." For example, only when Heracles lies on his funeral pyre and his soul ascends to Mount Olympus can we say he is a true hero — he has not only defeated death, but also the constraints of the world; he has conquered time and ultimately transcended it.

Therefore, it is inappropriate to compare deceased heroes with those who are still alive, because the dead can no longer "betray." But even comparing deceased heroes among themselves is inappropriate. We acknowledge them as heroes and witness their deeds, but it is not advisable to judge "the size of heroes," as one would distinguish between "small saints" and "great saints" when evaluating saints. Therefore, we should not evaluate our heroes in this way.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is a hero. We believe this because he has left us. He has gone through many trials, and two great forces have had fierce confrontations for his soul and his choices: one is the power of Russian history, and the other is the power of the invisible world.

Writer Aleksandr Prokhanov dedicated his last novel "Lemna" to Prigozhin, believing that Prigozhin chose to stop on his way to Moscow by his own will. His inner "angel" defeated his "devil." Indeed, both forces were exceptionally strong in him, but it was precisely this inner struggle that made him a remarkable hero. Looking at the scale of his life, the richness of his experiences, the drama of his story, the intensity of his conflicts, and the ups and downs of his fate, he is undoubtedly a person of great significance. He is not just a hero, but a great hero.

In fact, there is a struggle between the "angelic" (divine) and the "demonic" (evil) aspects in everyone's heart. However, the difference between heroes and others is that this inner struggle is "visible" in heroes. Others can witness this struggle, draw inspiration from it, and take it as a model to take their own heroic path.

Therefore, in my opinion, Prigozhin's level is currently difficult to reach. I think he became such a hero perhaps because he saw the "demonic" side of his character, and our leadership might become more cautious in the future when facing similar passionate and energetic individuals, unwilling to give them complete freedom. But this leads to another extreme — balance is key. However, the scope that Prigozhin demonstrated is unique and irreplicable.

A Call to a Generation

In our era, there are some people who have made extraordinary contributions to the cause of the motherland, such as my daughter Dasha (Daria Dugin). The whole nation remembers her. Every time I enter different churches and ask priests to pray for her, they always say, "We have been praying for her all these years." Because Dasha's significance goes beyond being a "patriot harmed by Ukrainian terrorists" — she is a victim of the "terrorist state," one among us who "speaks for the truth," and one who "adheres to the truth."

Certainly, many war reporters have taken greater risks and made greater contributions on the front lines than Dasha. She did live in the Donetsk People's Republic (ДНР), where the risks were no different from those faced by all residents in the Donbas region since 2014. But people remember her not only because she was young and beautiful, but more importantly, because she was full of "life force" — this vitality poured out in her interviews, speeches, and writings. From her profound thoughts, we extracted the essence and compiled it into five thick volumes of texts. On the monument near the place of her martyrdom, her image stands alongside a book.

Certainly, we should build monuments for all heroes, whether collective or individual. But Dasha is always a special hero — a "hero holding a book." She is a girl with thoughts, a brave girl, even braver than many men. Her existence is a call to a generation: for young men, it is motivation to protect people like Dasha and prevent enemies from harming them; for young women, it is encouragement to become role models of the pure spirit, wisdom, culture, openness, action, and vitality of Russia.

Image caption: Monument to Dasha Dugina.

"Not Just a Moment in History"

In this holy war, many members of the Eurasian Youth Union also gave their lives, such as the leader of the union, Pavel Kanyshchev. He died in a charge, serving as a stormtrooper during the liberation of "Constantinople" (Константинополь). Can you imagine? In the territories occupied by the enemy in the Donetsk People's Republic, there is a settlement named "Constantinople" (which means "Tsar's City").

For us Eurasians, this is certainly not just a common historical moment, but a supreme holy object, the focus of our entire faith. A person who has upheld these ideals for years is not only an intellectual, teacher, or social activist, but also personally went to the battlefield, sacrificing his life in "Constantinople" — a town symbolizing our sacred war.

However, when we talk about these heroes, it does not mean that we can ignore others: whether they are from Dagestan, Chechnya, Buryatia, Tuva, or other great Russian warriors who gave their lives for our victory, each of them is invaluable, unique, and irreplaceable. This is crucial.

Yet, some figures have deep and multifaceted images. Even if they were not always firm in their struggle, they are indeed bearers of lofty and profound meanings — meanings that are often complex, ambiguous, and even contradictory.

But this is life. Life itself is a struggle between "divine forces" and "demonic forces." Those whose inner struggles are "obvious," those who overcome inner contradictions with loyalty to God, courage, love for the homeland, church, and spirituality, form the "first line" of our heroes.

Certainly, this does not mean that other heroes are less valuable. All of them together make up a whole, an inseparable connection — this is the "fighting church" of Russia. It is not a battle against worldly enemies, but a battle against "demonic forces." In this whole, everyone will move towards a new realm of life. They are like countless "hives," brewing "honey of Russian history" with their souls. With their merits, they have accumulated incredibly precious wealth for our sacred and eternal motherland. Therefore, in this context, the image of Yevgeny Prigozhin — even with its contradictions, retreats, ups and downs, and his controversial relationship with the church — remains unparalleled.

"I Will Avenge Dasha, and Make Everyone Tremble"

Finally, I want to share a story. One day, Dasha came to me and said:

"Dad, look, Prigozhin is such a powerful man, so independent and self-reliant, that no one would think of praying for him, because he seems to be able to control everything himself. Let's pray for him."

(When Dasha was 12 years old, she said, "I have decided." Dasha Dugina's mother mentioned this phrase at the unveiling ceremony of her daughter's monument.)

These words deeply touched me. Long before the events of the summer of 2023 (note: referring to the Wagner group's "mutiny"), we had already begun to pray for "God's servant, the warrior Yevgeny." At that time, we simply felt that maybe he, if he knew about it, would say, "No need for that." Later, I told the abbot of an important monastery in Russia, and he replied:

"Do you know? Not only you and Dasha were praying for him. For years, we have been praying for him, and even after his death, we continue to pray for him."

This is crucial — we should actively pray for heroes. When saying goodbye to Dasha, Prigozhin arrived at Ostankino (a district in Moscow) by his own helicopter, entered the mourning hall, and approached me. We had never met before, but he just hugged me and then said:

"I won't attend your farewell ceremony. Now I have to board the plane and return to the place where the battle is ongoing. But I will avenge Dasha, and make everyone tremble."

This is one act, one moment in Yevgeny Prigozhin's life. He flew here, entered the mourning hall, and saw "symbolism" in Dasha; and Dasha had also seen "symbolism" in him. Now, they have both left us, finding their place in this unique "Russian heavenly fatherland" — in "Heavenly Russia." They shine like stars for us.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7555340415889654314/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude below using the [up/down] buttons.