Yakut Shaman Who Marched to “Exorcise Putin” to Remain in Psychiatric Detention

The shaman from Yakutia, a region in northeastern Siberia, Alexander Gabyshev will remain under compulsory treatment in a specialized psychiatric hospital, following a decision by the Russian Primorsky Regional Court according to The Moscow Times on February 28. 

In March 2019, Gabyshev set out on an 8,000-kilometer journey, declaring his goal was to “exorcize” President Vladimir Putin, whom he described as the “embodiment of evil,” and rid Russia of his rule.

The court upheld an appeal by prosecutors to overturn an earlier ruling by the Russian Ussuriysk District Court, which had ordered Gabyshev’s transfer to a general psychiatric hospital with a more lenient regime. According to his lawyer, Aleksey Pryanishnikov, the case has now been sent back for a new review. “The four-year-long cycle continues,” Pryanishnikov said.

This is not the first time efforts have been made to transfer Gabyshev to a hospital with less restrictive conditions. In July 2024, the Russian Primorsky Krai Court denied a request for his transfer, keeping him in a specialized clinic. In December, his defense team successfully appealed the decision, and he was briefly moved to a general hospital before being returned to the specialized facility.

Gabyshev, who refers to himself as a warrior shaman, gained attention in 2019 when he began a march toward Moscow, stating his intention to “drive out Putin.” He was later charged with “calling for extremism” and “using violence against Russian  Rosgvardia officers.” 

Earlier, it was reported that Russia established a filtration camp in territories it occupied in 2024, the facility, with a capacity of up to 1,000 people, is used to screen residents of newly occupied settlements for ties to Ukraine’s Defense Forces.