Rostov, Russian city on the war frontier

September 8, 2023

Prigozhin, good or bad? In Russia, war or no war? In Rostov-sur-le-Don, the ephemeral capital of the Wagner group during its mutiny, the paradoxes and troubles within the Russian population are increased tenfold.

Heads up: everything is normal, as the Kremlin assures. This weekend, local elections are planned in this large city located near the Ukrainian border and logistics center of the Russian army.

Head side: The conflict is there. During the night of Wednesday to Thursday, two Ukrainian drones were shot down over Rostov-on-Don.

One of them fell near the headquarters of Russian troops in the region, located in the historic center of the city which is teeming with soldiers.

Results of this drone fall: one injured, a residential building disfigured, half a dozen cars damaged, windows blown out and local residents shaken.

“Our anti-aircraft defense is not working well,” said Vladimir, 68, a retiree living in the area. “It has to end there, because it’s getting worse and worse.”

History within history: it was this headquarters that was captured by the men of Wagner’s leader, Yevgeni Prigozhin, on the night of June 23-24, at the start of their mutiny against the military command.

It was here that senior Russian officers were filmed after being taken de facto prisoners by the mutineers. Wagner’s rebellion ultimately failed, after Prigozhin’s about-face, but nearly dragged Russia into chaos.

In Rostov, the Wagners had been received triumphantly by some residents, a sign of Prigozhin’s popularity built on vitriolic criticism of Russian elites, unparalleled banter and frequent visits to Ukrainian battlefields.

“It’s good that they (Wagner’s soldiers) didn’t try to make Bucha here,” said Evgenia, a 78-year-old resident of Rostov, referring to the town where civilians were massacred near Kiev during the retreat of Russian forces in spring 2022, a carnage for which Moscow denies responsibility.

A mercenary battle tank, during the mutiny, was stationed in Rostov at the entrance to a beautiful building adjoining the headquarters: that of the municipal circus.

Now, in front of the circus, flowers and photos stand in memory of Prigozhin and his deputy, Dmitri Outkin, who died in a plane crash on August 23, behind which the West sees the hand of the Kremlin despite its denials.

The local press reports that this improvised memorial was dismantled at one point by unknown persons, before reappearing a few days later.

Another memorial, dedicated to the pilots of the Russian Air Force killed by the mutineers, appeared in turn not far away, again according to the local press, before also disappearing.

“Everything is murky. Some are proud of Prigozhin, admire him and even denounce the elites for not having given him ammunition and for having prevented him from growing,” notes Alexandre, 76 years old.

“But Prigozhin was a habitual criminal and we don’t know how he would have grown up!” he exclaims. Historians “will give us the answer in 100 or 200 years,” concludes Alexandre.

Accentuating the confusion, Tamara, 78, thinks that Yevgeni Prigozhin is still alive. She says she relies on the conclusions of “very serious tarot experts”, while consultations with astrologers and other soothsayers have exploded in Russia since the offensive in Ukraine.

According to Tamara, “as soon as Putin leaves, Prigozhin will reappear.”

In the midst of this fog of uncertainty, Rima explains that many residents of Rostov, as elsewhere in Russia, take refuge in a form of indifference.

“People are very stressed in times of war. After an explosion, they want to relieve themselves and live like before,” said the 23-year-old saleswoman in a supermarket.

Often this indifference is based on a deep feeling of helplessness, while any voice critical of the Kremlin is crushed.

“You can’t change much anyway,” notes Elizaveta, 18, an art student in Rostov.

Then, laughing happily, she says she hopes that simple observation won’t land her in jail.