‘Find a Soldier, He Dies, You Get 8M’ – Russian Realtor’s ‘Advice’ on How To Buy a Home Sparks Outrage
Marina Orlova, a real estate agent from Tomsk, Russia, said her suggestion women can buy property by marrying soldiers who die in combat was just a joke – but some officials are taking it seriously.
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‘Find a Soldier, He Dies, You Get 8M’ – Russian Realtor’s ‘Advice’ on How To Buy a Home Sparks Outrage
Marina Orlova, a real estate agent from Tomsk, Russia, said her suggestion women can buy property by marrying soldiers who die in combat was just a joke – but some officials are taking it seriously.by Kyiv Post | April 4, 2025, 5:39 pm
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Russian soldiers patrol a street on April 11, 2022, in Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. The picture was taken during a trip organized by the Russian military. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
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A Russian realtor has come under fire after joking that women can buy property by marrying soldiers who die in combat fighting in Ukraine.
Marina Orlova, a real estate agent from Tomsk, made the controversial remark during a podcast. When asked how a woman over 30 could afford an apartment, she replied:
“It’s simple. Find a man in the military, he dies, and you get eight million.”
She claimed that many women already date men in the Russian Armed Forces for this purpose, using death compensation to buy cheap apartments.
After the video went viral, Orlova backtracked.
She called it “black humor” that shouldn’t have been made public in a conversation with The Rise media outlet. She said she started receiving threats, shut down her social media, and is now facing calls for an official investigation.
“I woke up today and was shocked that the girl who recorded the podcast posted it. We were having a friendly conversation, and it wasn’t meant for the public. The cameras were on, but that didn’t mean everything had to be shared,” Orlova said.
“It was just a joke between friends. Yes, I understand it was black humor, but that kind of humor can exist between friends. Of course, I never intended to hurt anyone.”
State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov has urged authorities to take action, while the activist of the pro-war Telegram group “Call of the People“ [Zov Naroda] is pressuring Russia’s Investigative Committee to look into her statements.
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