Reports have long suggested that Vladimir Putin has a fascination with mysticism and spirituality. Over the years, he has been linked to unusual rituals and beliefs, including claims that he once bathed in Siberian red deer blood to boost his vitality.
Now, according to Russian opposition sources, Putin may have gone a step further. It has been alleged that during his September 2024 trip to Mongolia, he secretly sought the counsel of Mongolian shamans about the potential use of nuclear weapons.
Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist and founder of the banned TV Dozhd channel, wrote in Der Spiegel that Putin combines elements of Orthodox mysticism with older pagan traditions. He explained that regions like Mongolia and Tuva are considered spiritual centers for some of the most powerful shamans in the world, and Putin’s interest in such practices has been an open secret for years.
The timing of these claims raised eyebrows, since they came just as Russia was escalating threats against Ukraine, warning that “there will be no peace” while hinting at seizing more territory.
Interestingly, Mongolia is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children. Yet when he visited, Mongolian authorities did not detain him—something critics argue highlights how reliant Mongolia remains on Russia. According to Zygar, Putin was willing to risk detention in order to seek spiritual guidance.
The Kremlin, however, has denied these claims outright, dismissing them as fabrications by opposition figures.
This would not be the first time Putin turned to spiritual figures. Reports suggest he sought mystical advice before Russia’s 2012 invasion of Ukraine, and even last year Russian state media claimed that the country’s “supreme shaman,” Kara-ool Dopchun-ool, had performed rituals calling upon “the sun, the moon, and the stars” to protect Russian troops.
Whether or not Putin truly seeks out shamans for guidance, these recurring stories show that his reputation for mixing politics, power, and mysticism continues to follow him.
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