Putin consults with shamans over war - media

Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar claimed this in an article for Der Spiegel, Ukrinform reports.

The author refers to unnamed sources close to the Kremlin who say meetings shamans were the major reason Putin made both trips. This was already his third visit to Mongolia in the last decade, while Tuva is one of his frequent destinations.

Mongolia and Tuva are seen as homeland to the world’s most powerful shamans.

"Now rumors are spreading in Moscow that Putin needs the blessing of shamans to use nuclear weapons. Without their consent, he could not take such a serious step, for fear of angering the spirits. From Mongolia, he allegedly returned satisfied," the article claims.

However, the author himself admits that he has no confirmation of this superstitious version.

Vladimir Putin has long been known for his special focus on mysticism, combining interest in Orthodox rites with pagan traditions. He spends a lot of time with the so-called elders from the Valaam monastery, who were especially revered by the Orthodox mystics of medieval Russia.

At the same time, during joint trips to Tuva with former Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu (who was born in the region), both allegedly participated in shamanic rituals. This fascinated the Russian president no less than Orthodox mysticism.

Shamans, the article says, promised Putin a successful war. At the same time, the author refers to a political scientist with a controversial reputation, Valery Solovey, who in 2022 claimed that Russia's attack on Ukraine had been preceded by a pagan ritual that shamans performed for Putin at his residence in Sochi. They supposedly slayed an eagle as a sacrificed and foresaw the success of the military operation.

The author of the article is Mikhail Zygar, a Russian journalist and writer. He wrote for the Kommersant, Newsweek, worked as a founding editor-in-chief at the the independent TV channel Dozhd, and authored several books. He currently lives in Berlin.

It should be recalled that Adolf Hitler and his closest entourage were also known for their fascination with occultism.

As Ukrinform reported, Nazi occultism combined with fascist esoteric ideas have followers in the Kremlin.

Photo: Kristina Kormilitsyna / Sputnik / IMAGO