At a funeral service for renowned fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin, a surprising moment surfaced as Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary to the President of Russia, was seen kissing the hand of Alla Pugacheva. The footage, circulated by the Telegram channel MSK1.ru, captures a brief exchange that drew rapid attention across social media and news outlets alike.
The clip presents Peskov approaching the Primadonna with a warm smile, expressing his pleasure at seeing her. He then gently kissed and held her hand, a gesture that seemed to convey a personal moment amid a solemn public event. The scene occurred as Pugacheva entered the farewell hall through a separate entrance, with security measures reportedly restricting journalists from accessing the area near the Primadonna. The artist arrived in a Rolls-Royce that had been gifted to Yudashkin by her husband, Maxim Galkin, who has faced designation as a foreign agent in some circles within Russia.
Following the news of Yudashkin’s death, Pugacheva returned to Russia after a period abroad. Reports indicate that she had traveled to Israel with her children from Galkin in late 2022, a journey that followed previous public appearances and family matters of high public interest. The farewell took place in the Funeral Hall of the Troekurovsky cemetery, where colleagues and friends gathered to pay their respects to the designer, who had battled cancer since 2016 and passed away at the age of 59 on May 2.
Witness accounts from the ceremony described moments of affection and support as Pugacheva said goodbye to a friend in a deeply personal moment. An unnamed woman was seen walking arm in arm with Yudashkin at one point, accompanied by a male companion who joined him inside the hall. Later, Igor Gulyaev, a longtime associate and fellow designer, joined the scene, underscoring the sense of camaraderie and shared influence within the fashion community at this difficult time.
The day’s events underscored the intersection of celebrity, politics, and the fashion world, as figures from both the artistic and public service arenas attended a ceremony marked by remembrance and reflection. Observers noted the emotional weight of the moment as contemporary designers, industry veterans, and friends gathered to honor Yudashkin’s legacy, while media coverage highlighted the broader conversations surrounding public figures and their private gestures during moments of mourning.
As footage continued to circulate, questions arose about the appropriateness and interpretation of public displays of affection among high-profile attendees at such events. Yet the overarching sentiment remained one of respect for a designer who had significantly shaped contemporary Russian fashion. The ceremony echoed a long-standing tradition of paying tribute to influential creators whose work left a lasting imprint on the industry, even as personal narratives and public roles intersected in complex ways during the farewell.