A monument to far-right commentator and staunch Ukraine war supporter Daria Dugina was unveiled outside Moscow on Wednesday, the third anniversary of her death in a car bombing.
The ceremony in the town of Odintsovo drew figures from Russia’s conservative establishment, including state media boss Dmitry Kiselyov, pro-Kremlin businessman Konstantin Malofeyev, Kremlin-installed Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin and Dugina’s mother, Natalia Melentyeva.
Her father, ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, shared photos and video from the unveiling on his Telegram channel, though Russian media did not confirm whether he was present.
Dugina, 29, was killed on Aug. 20, 2022, when an explosive device destroyed the SUV she was driving outside Moscow. Reports at the time suggested that her father may have been the intended target, as she had borrowed his car that evening.
Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the bombing and accused two Ukrainian nationals — a man and a woman — of carrying out the assassination.
The man reportedly fled Russia before the attack, while the woman was said to have gone to Estonia with her young daughter. Kyiv has denied involvement, though the New York Times later reported that U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that “elements” within the Ukrainian government were connected to the bombing.
The bronze monument unveiled on Wednesday stands 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall on a granite pedestal shaped to resemble a cliff, according to Odintsovo district head Andrei Ivanov. A plaque describes Dugina as a “philosopher, journalist, public activist and recipient of the Order of Courage.”
Some Russian outlets reported that Dugin himself took part in designing the statue, which was completed after two years of work.
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