August 24, 2022

Foundations of Suspicion


Foundations of Suspicion

“What reason is there for us to do this?” 

                                   – A Ukrainian official speaking on the murder of Darya Dugina

On the evening of August 20, Darya Dugina, a Russian commentator and daughter of well-known Russian ultra-nationalist Aleksandr Dugin, was murdered by a car bomb.

The attack occurred while Dugina was leaving a festival at the Alexander Pushkin Museum-Reserve, which is situated in an elite Moscow postal code. Her father had planned to be in the car with her, but changed his mind at the last moment.

Shortly after the attack occurred, the Russian authorities began an investigation. They now claim that Dugina was murdered by a Ukrainian woman who fled to Estonia after the attack.

Ukraine denies any involvement and claims that most Ukrainian citizens neither know nor care about Dugina or her father, who is suspected to have been the intended target.

The Dugins are known in Russia for their ultra-nationalist views and anti-Western rhetoric, and many experts believe President Vladimir Putin is an adherent Alexander Dugin's nationalist ideas, and that such beliefs about building a wider "Russky Mir" united by Orthodoxy and the Russian language, helped drive the Kremlin toward its war on Ukraine.

In Dugina's final television appearance, she claimed that the atrocities of Bucha were staged to turn the world against Russia.

You Might Also Like

Searching for Nazis
  • June 05, 2022

Searching for Nazis

Putin says he invaded Ukraine to root out Nazis. Zelensky compares the defense of Ukraine to the heroism of the 1940s. Can both be right? No. No, they can't.
Subversion Subverted
  • March 14, 2022

Subversion Subverted

Putin's attempt to undermine Ukraine backfired ... due to corruption.
Tsargrad the Litmus Tester
  • December 15, 2020

Tsargrad the Litmus Tester

The “Orthodox oligarch” is starting a political organization to promote politicians who share his views.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
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...
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Survival Russian

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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

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