The man called 'Putin's brain' and his vision of a new empire
From street cleaner to a leading architect of neo-Eurasianism, Aleksandr Dugin’s journey is a labyrinth of occultism, dissident politics, and geopolitical theory. Whether he is a mastermind of the Kremlin or an exaggerated figure, his ideas aim to dismantle the Western order and rebuild a massive Eurasian superstate.
Born in 1962 to a Soviet military intelligence family, Dugin’s early life was marked by radical shifts. After being expelled from the Moscow Aviation Institute, he worked as a street cleaner and allegedly accessed banned literature through a forged library card. His formative years included membership in the 'Yuzhinsky circle,' an avant-garde group exploring Satanism, hypnotism, and esoteric Nazism, where he even adopted the persona 'Hans Sievers.'
Dugin’s political philosophy, often characterized as far-right or fascist, is built on a complex layer of traditions. He rejects liberal democracy and Marxism, advocating instead for a 'conservative revolution.' His work draws from the 'Traditionalist School'—including thinkers like René Guénon and Julius Evola—as well as the German Conservative Revolution. His geopolitical strategy, detailed in his 1997 work *Foundations of Geopolitics*, calls for Russia to challenge the 'Atlanticist' empire led by the United States through strategic alliances and conquest.
His ideology, neo-Eurasianism, seeks the unification of Russian-speaking peoples into a single empire to counter Western 'hubris.' While his views on China have shifted from advocating its dismantling to supporting a Russo-Chinese alliance, his core mission remains the rejection of Western universalism. Though he has no official ties to the Kremlin, his influence is a subject of intense debate; some see him as a primary advisor to the Russian state, while others argue his impact is significantly overstated.
Source: Aleksandr Dugin
