Former Russia paramilitary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried in his hometown of St. Petersburg on Tuesday, less than a week after a plane crash killed him and other top leaders of the Wagner group.
“A farewell to Yevgeny Prigozhin took place in a closed format,” his press service announced in its first statement since the aftermath of his June 23 uprising against Russian defense leaders. “Those wishing to say goodbye can visit the Porokhovskoe cemetery.”
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The private ceremony was not attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, his former ally, or other Kremlin figures.
According to Readovka, Prigozhin was buried next to his father. He was buried without military honors.
Notably, the funeral went largely under the radar in Russian state media. Channel One and NTV, two of Russia’s largest state media channels, didn’t mention the funeral, while Russia One only devoted a one-minute segment, the popular Russian Telegram channel BRIEF reported.
Though Prigozhin’s press service invited admirers to visit the cemetery to bid farewell, his grave has been cordoned off and is guarded by National Guardsmen. Crowds gathered outside of the cordoned area.
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Valery Chekalov, one of the nine others who perished in the plane crash that killed Prigozhin last week, was also buried in St. Petersburg Tuesday.
Prigozhin was once an ally of Putin, leading the Wagner mercenary group as it advanced Kremlin influence across Syria and Africa. Their relationship soured over the last year after Prigozhin’s forces were drawn into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, culminating in the brief but dramatic march on Moscow in June. He died when his plane crashed in Tver exactly two months after the mutiny.
