Putin's fixation with shamans

Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons

Shamans performing a ritual of predictions for the coming year display a poster of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Lima
Putin's alleged interests reflect the 'deep vein of mysticism, occultism and conspiracy theory in Russian culture'
(Image credit: Ernesto Benavides / AFP / Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin allegedly met shamans during his recent trips to Siberia and Mongolia to seek their blessing for the use of nuclear weapons, according to Russian opposition figures.

The Russian president is well known for performing religious orthodoxy, casting himself as a defender of Christianity around the world. The former KGB officer is also reportedly extremely superstitious, known for refusing to publicly say the name of the deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He is also said to be interested in paganism, allegedly taking regular baths in an extract from the blood of severed deer antlers in the belief that it has rejuvenating powers. 

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.