Siberia, protest, and politics

Summary

Sakha shaman Alexander Gabyshev gained prominence from 2018 to 2020 after a spiritual epiphany led him to call Vladimir Putin an authoritarian demon. He critiqued Russia's corrupt society via the internet and a protest march, attracting multiethnic sympathizers and rising to civic leadership. The article explains his popularity and why he threatened authorities, especially Russian Orthodox elites. It compares his repression to Robin Hood, Amerindian religious movements, and Russia's politicized psychiatric hospitalization, examining indigeneity, dissidence, and the state. The author views Gabyshev's potential martyrdom as an indicator of Russia's political and social fragility.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract After a spiritual epiphany, the Sakha shaman Alexander Gabyshev became prominent in 2018–2020 by calling Vladimir Putin an authoritarian demon. Critiquing Russia's corrupt society through the internet and a protest march, Alexander rose to civic society leadership with multiethnic sympathizers. This article explains why Alexander became popular, and how he became a threat to Russia's authorities, especially influential Russian Orthodox elites. Alexander's repression is placed in comparative contexts: Robin Hood, Amerindian religious movements, Russia's politicized abuse of psychiatric hospitalization. It examines the relationship among indigeneity, dissidence, and the state in times of trouble, highlighting the ethical need for anthropologists, through long-term and in-depth fieldwork, to expose human rights violations interpreted as changeable. The author views Alexander's potential martyrdom as an indicator of Russia's political and social fragility.

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