Russian blogger Victoria Bonya has tearfully described her severe emotional pain following the death of her close friend, mountaineer Nirmal Purja, in an avalanche in Pakistan.
In a video published on her Instagram account, the television presenter broke down in tears as she revealed how deeply the loss had affected her over the past month.
Bonya admitted that the past month had been extremely difficult for her to endure. She said she had initially kept her feelings private and had not shared her grief with anyone online or in person.
She explained that she did not anticipate how overwhelming the emotional heartbreak would be, stating that she felt torn in half by the loss. Bursting into tears during the recording, she noted that she finds it necessary to live through the intense emotional pain on her own rather than processing it with others.
She expressed hope that the painful emotions would gradually lessen as time passes.
High altitude tragedy in Pakistan
The tragedy occurred at the end of July when Purja died following an avalanche in the mountains of Pakistan. Instagram, where Bonya posted her video statement, is owned by Meta Platforms.
Purja was a world-renowned Nepalese mountaineer celebrated globally for scaling all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in record time. A former member of the British Armed Forces, his extraordinary climbing achievements were featured in the popular documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Pakistan contains five of the world's 14 mountains above 8,000 metres, including K2 and Nanga Parbat across the Karakoram and Himalayan ranges. High-altitude expeditions in the region attract elite climbers from around the world each summer but carry extreme dangers from sudden avalanches and volatile weather.
Bonya, a prominent Russian media personality, model, and former contestant on the reality television show Dom-2, has built a massive social media presence. In recent years, she has also taken up high-altitude mountaineering herself, participating in major expeditions across the Himalayas and Karakoram range.
Previous comments on European habits
Prior to sharing her grief over Purja, Bonya previously drew attention online by commenting on unusual lifestyle habits among Europeans. She claimed that residents living in the south of France refrain from keeping valuable possessions inside their homes due to frequent burglaries.
The south of France, including the famous French Riviera coastline, is home to numerous affluent European residents and international celebrities. Concerns regarding property security and seasonal home burglaries are frequently discussed among foreign residents and tourists staying in the region.
