August 21, 2026

Repressive Medicine


Repressive Medicine
Strange, but against Putin: Garbyshev, in earlier days. The Russian Life files

According to Yakutia.info, the local Supreme Court has upheld the order for opposition activist Alexander Gabyshev to undergo compulsory treatment, rejecting an appeal.

Gabyshev is a native of Yakutia, where shamanism is widespread among indigenous peoples. He calls himself a “shaman-warrior.” In the spring of 2019, the flamboyant opposition figure set out on a trek to Moscow to perform a “ritual to expel Putin.”

Gabyshev carried his belongings on a cart and spent nights in a yurt, gaining notoriety along the way. Some media wrote that he was going to call out Putin to a fight, others that ​​he was planning to light a bonfire on Red Square. According to Yakut traditions, he would feed the fire with mare's milk and horsehair, beat a leather drum, and offer a prayer, after which Putin would come to his senses and resign of his own accord. Gabyshev believed that if the ritual were banned, millions of people would rise up and demand the president’s resignation.

On the journey, people often approached Gabyshev and struck up conversations. Some joined his trek, some gave money, and others filmed videos that garnered over a million views. A few weeks later, on the border between Buryatia and the Irkutsk Region, the rebel-shaman was detained and forcibly returned to Yakutia. A criminal case was filed against him on charges of extremism. He was placed under house arrest; detained again after escaping; beaten; and subjected to a show trial during which he was declared mentally incompetent.

In January 2021, Gabyshev was sent to a medical facility for “compulsory treatment." He was transferred from hospital to hospital in violation of medical standards. During court hearings, he said he felt unwell, complained of constant weakness, dizziness, and drowsiness, and reported an increase in the number of unidentified medications he was being forced to take. Amnesty International has recognized Gabyshev as a prisoner of conscience. Over the past five years, two books, a documentary film, and a play have been produced about him, but efforts to secure his release have been unsuccessful.

On August 13, it became known that yet another attempt had failed. 

“The judge and the prosecutor aren’t at all bothered by the fact that Alexander has been 'undergoing treatment' for nearly six years,” wrote attorney Alexey Pryanishnikov on his Telegram channel, “Under similar articles of the Russian Criminal Code, people are released from prison after four years, but in this case, they’ve been 'treating' him to no avail – after all, you can’t cure something that doesn’t exist.”


 

  •  

You Might Also Like

Hospitals of No Return
  • March 01, 2025

Hospitals of No Return

Psychiatric imprisonment did not end with the Soviet Union. It has a new lien on Russian lives.
Shaman and Native Mysticism
  • August 18, 2000

Shaman and Native Mysticism

The term Shaman is both a noun and a verb. It is from the Tungus language and is seen as saman or haman. The actions of the Shaman are, what western explorers referred to as, Shamanism. It is the oldest known demonstration of human spirituality.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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.

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.

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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