Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, named Vladimir Putin “chief exorcist” in 2022 in response to the Kremlin’s call for the “detanization” of Ukraine
The appointment of Vladimir Putin as “chief exorcist” by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2022 may help explain why so many Russians feel drawn into a struggle with their inner demons.
“Please tell me where to go? A 14 year old teenager was possessed by a demon… we tried healers, but they couldn’t help… has anyone ever experienced this? Moscow region“.
This is one of many similar pleas for help that have been circulating in Russian online communities in recent years, says Santa KravcenkoProfessor of Management at the University of Lancashire, in an article in .
According to reports in Russian media outlets such as Gazeta.ru, thousands of people in Russia actively discuss exorcisms on social media. It is a spiritual ritual performed by a handful of Russian priests to expel spirits or demons of a person believed to be possessed.
Some people move to Known “exorcism” destinationssuch as the province of Oryol, about 400 km south of Moscow, where the Father Igora local priest and official exorcist of the diocese, performs a ritual called otchitka.
The ritual involves the priest reciting a set of prayers to help those believed to be under the influence of spirits.
Other people resort to informal “exorcism economy”offered by local mediums. Some reported paying between 10,000 rubles (110 euros) and 20,000 rubles (225 euros) for an initial consultation only to determine if they are truly possessed.
The Russian Orthodox Church warns that attempts at exorcism must be left to members of the clergy. Exorcism is rooted in Orthodox tradition, with exorcism prayers first introduced into Russian religious practice. in the 17th century by Archbishop Pedro Mogila. However, exorcisms remained rare until the end of the Soviet period.
The most influential modern exorcist in Russia was Father Germana priest who began practicing near Moscow in the 1980s. His reputation spread by word of mouth. But what happened in the 1980s to spark interest in exorcisms in Russia?
According to some researchers, as Pavel Nosachevfrom HSE University in Moscow, the emotional tension caused by colapso gradual of the Soviet Union led people to “seek spirituality”.
As the communist ideology declinedunderground religious groups flourished and the Orthodox Church reborn after decades of repression.
During this period, hypnotists and self-proclaimed psychic healerslike Anatoly Kashpirovskyhave become equally prominent on television. A crisis of shared meaning led to a boom in both religious ritual and occult experimentation. This included exorcism, says Kravcenko.
A media coverage suggests that the “casting out demons” business seen in Russia today also reflects a society under pressure – but in this case, one that deals with the effects of the war in Ukraine.
According to research into how human beings deal with the awareness of their death, religion acts as a shield against existential anxieties. This can intensify in times of crisis, such as war.
After the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, for example, church attendance increased worldwide and Bible sales soared.
The appointment of Vladimir Putin as “chief exorcist” by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2022, after the Kremlin called for the “detanization” of Ukraine, may also help explain why some Russians have been drawn into a struggle with their inner demons.
Exorcism tourism
Renewed interest in exorcism within Russia could represent a broader cultural response to political and personal instability – echoing the turmoil of the 1980s, says Kravcenko. But the country has also long nurtured a attraction to the paranormal.
The Russian public has spent almost two decades watching the popular television program “Battle of Psychics”, which shows the supposed paranormal abilities of self-proclaimed healers, witches and mediums in various competitive challenges. A recent episode even featured one.
Just like “Battle of the Psychics” generated an industry worth millions of rubles of famous healers, Russia’s wartime surge in exorcisms reveals a similar monetization of fear and uncertainty. What was once a localized ritual appears to be evolving into a structured commercial service – a phenomenon that Kravcenko calls “exorcism tourism“.
Largely due to the connection with the business – excursions to otchitkas or donations for an exorcism session – this practice is now perceived as a merchandise in a spiritual supermarket.
This marketing is visible on organized trips. Among the many ads Kravcenko has seen in recent years, one that encourages people “facing difficult life circumstances or physical and spiritual illnesses” to travel from Belarus to Russia “for exorcism”.
The itinerary includes a consultation and private conversation with the well-known “media exorcist” Padre Gusevwho leads a rock band called “The Exorcist”. The tour’s website claims it has performed more than 15,000 exorcisms in 26 years.
In a country troubled by war, uncertainty and spiritual volatility, the Russia’s exorcism economy appears to be boomingr. For some Russians, it seems that exorcisms offer not just a ritual but a sense of control in the midst of everyday chaos.
