On his 72nd birthday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin received a congratulatory message from influential ultra far-right Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin.
In his post on Telegram, Dugin used the phrase “God save the Tsar,” referring to the time of the Russian Empire.
Dugin is known as a long-time advocate of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He has supported Russian imperialism for years and played a key role in shaping the country’s shift toward hardline nationalism and authoritarianism.
In his birthday message, Dugin expressed his desire for “angels” to crown Putin with a golden wreath, describing Putin’s 72 years as the beginning of a “second youth.”
According to United24 Media, Dugin became a known public figure after Russia invaded Ukraine, with some of his earlier ideas about Russian dominance and a “Eurasian Union” being used to justify the war.
This “Eurasian Union” imagines reconnecting Russia with former Soviet territories. Dugin’s influence is still strong in nationalist groups, and he has over 71,000 followers on Telegram.
After winning over 88% of the vote in his most recent election, where he faced little real opposition, Putin is set to become Russia’s longest-serving leader in two centuries, surpassing Josef Stalin.
