Constantin von Hoffmeister

Dec 15, 2023

Constantin von Hoffmeister reflects on Daria Dugina’s role as an influential voice in Eurasianism and her ideational impact marked by a tragic end.

“The foundation of the Fourth Political Theory is Dasein; the essence of the Fourth Political Theory is the vision of the Sacred; the profound substance of the Fourth Political Theory is the reality of the Soul.”

— René-Henri Manusardi

In commemorating Daria Dugina, who would have turned thirty-one today, we remember her as a figure deeply embedded within the political and philosophical landscape of contemporary Russia.

Dugina’s professional journey saw her evolve into a spokesperson for Eurasianism. She often spoke of Europe as a “Rimland,” caught between the American and Eurasian spheres of influence, and advocated a Russian-led empire to counter Western dominance. This vision of an empire was seen by Dugina as a voluntary alliance defending the sovereignty of its members, emphasizing the shared Eastern Slavic roots of Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians, while acknowledging the growing resistance to this idea, particularly in Ukraine.

Her writings frequently touched on the decline of liberalism, celebrating what she took as the termination of eras symbolized by leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron and hoping for a redirection of American global focus under Donald Trump. Dugina envisioned Russia as an “island of freedom” against what she perceived as the totalitarianism of liberal democracy. Her ideal Russia blended leftist economics with right-wing conservatism, a combination she believed was uniquely suited to the Russian context, despite its apparent contradictions in Western political thought.

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