November 30, 2023

Shaman in Prison, Evil Spirit at Large


Shaman in Prison, Evil Spirit at Large
Alexander Gabyshev, wearing a T-shirt that reads "The Shaman Goes." EseniaSofronova, Wikimedia Commons.

On November 22, shaman Alexander Gabyshev celebrated his 55th birthday, behind bars at a hospital. In their latest series on political prisoners, Mediazona recounted the story of the man who intended to walk from Yakutia for Moscow to exorcise President Vladimir Putin.

In March 2019, Gabyshev loaded a cart with a tent and a camp stove and set off on the 8,000-kilometer journey. According to the self-proclaimed "warrior shaman," God ordered him to exorcise Vladimir Putin, "the demon," on Red Square.

As Gabyshev's step count increased, so did his story's renown. When he reached Chita, 1,500 km along his journey, he was invited to speak at a Communist Party rally. By August, he had reached Buryatia. Gabyshev wasn't alone: on the way, people joined his march to Moscow. 

By the time Gabyshev had walked 3,000 km, his name had become known all across the country, and Russia's internal security service, the FSB, began investigating the shaman for "extremism."

As he was entering Irkutsk, Gabyshev was detained and sent back to Yakutsk for a psychiatric evaluation. Gabyshev was duly declared insane, and, after being detained in a hospital, was released. His "extremism" case was closed. The shaman drew a lightning sign on his face to symbolize "God's wrath."

In January 2021, 50 National Guard soldiers raided Gabyshev's home. The shaman resisted with a fireplace poker and a Yakutian knife, wounding an OMON guard in the leg. Gabyshev's lawyer has argued there is no proof the shaman inflicted the injuries, as his house was in complete darkness when riot police broke in.

Gabyshev has been under arrest for attacking a security officer ever since. He is currently at a psychiatric hospital under the sort of intensive observation usually reserved for serial killers. Courts have continuously extended his detention at the hospital, which, unlike in penal colonies, has no limit.

You Might Also Like

Integration through Education?
  • October 08, 2023

Integration through Education?

Russian President Putin stressed the importance of education in regions newly annexed from Ukraine. But is there a more sinister motive at play?
One Country, Two Wars
  • September 16, 2023

One Country, Two Wars

The Kremlin is currently conducting not one, but two horrific wars.
Flagpole Ripper
  • April 13, 2023

Flagpole Ripper

A man was arrested for tearing down a Russian flag at a police department.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955