A former Russian army colonel convicted of the torture and murder of an 18-year-old Chechen girl was given a hero’s burial yesterday, after he was shot dead by unknown attackers in Moscow last week.
Hundreds of Russian nationalists joined family and former army comrades at the funeral of Yuri Budanov, at a small church in Khimki, on the outskirts of Moscow. The air was thick with the smell of incense and freshly cut carnations as a long line of mourners filed past the open coffin to kiss Budanov’s corpse. Choral music echoed around the church, but the tranquil setting could not hide the controversial past of the central player.
