Love spells over bullets? Russian soldiers turn to ‘witchcraft’ amid Ukraine war

Moscow: Self-described witch Natalia Malinovskaya has a new client base: men fighting in eastern Ukraine, who, like a growing number of Russians, are drawn to the supernatural against a backdrop of conflict and economic uncertainty.

In her darkened apartment in Moscow, Malinovskaya, who says she ⁠inherited her powers from her grandmother, offers services from love spells to protection from evil. She has also made frequent appearances on Russian ⁠television.

Demonstrating how she detects a bad vibe over someone's health by wafting a lit match ‌over a glass, she says most people seek help ​for love problems, including soldiers worried about their partners staying faithful.

"They contact me, and there are many of them," said Malinovskaya, cautioning that she can only cast spells in person when soldiers are on leave. "It's impossible to carry out a ritual at the front. Where would someone burn candles, and how would I even send them there?"

STATE POLLSTER REPORTS SURGE IN MYSTICISM

Orthodox Christianity, mysticism and folk superstitions ​have coexisted in Russia through centuries of tsarist ⁠rule and the religious repression of the Soviet era.

Interest surged in the final years of the Russian Empire - when faith healer Rasputin's influence over the tsar's family caused public outrage - and again during the chaotic years after the Soviet Union's collapse. After a period of decline it is on the rise again.

"Today's geopolitical and economic challenges in Russia and worldwide ⁠heighten anxiety, triggering a ‌surge in mysticism," state pollster VTsIOM said in March as it published a poll showing that 85% of Russians had dabbled in magical practices.

"In such conditions, especially against the backdrop of military threats, belief (regardless ‌of which gods are involved) turns into a tool of psychological defense," it said. Russian forces have been on the offensive in Ukraine for over four years, ⁠fuelling a deadly crisis that has damaged Russia's international standing, slowed the economy and driven up the cost of living.

Nearly half of Russians believe that some people may be able to predict ‌the future or have magical powers, the survey showed, up from less than a third in ‌2019.

Demand for crystal balls and protective amulets more than doubled last year, while sales of aspen stakes - said ‌to defend the owner from evil spirits - quadrupled, said Russian cash register operator ATOL, citing consumer spending data.

At Witch ‌Store in Moscow, which sells crystals, tarot guides, and other magical paraphernalia, a couple of customers browsed the shelves looking for incense to cleanse the air or bring good luck.

"Black obsidian spheres are very popular and in high demand. Obsidian is considered a stone of safety," said the shop's co-owner, ⁠Yulia Gusanova, referring to ⁠volcanic glass.

Voodoo-themed bar Marie Laveau, which offers tarot readings, has benefited from the zeitgeist, said owner Evgeniya Chassagnard. "It turned out that we matched perfectly with the moment," she said.

ORTHODOX CHURCH CALLS FORTUNE-TELLING A 'DEVILISH POWER'

The revival has its opponents. Last year, a group of lawmakers submitted a bill to ban adverts for services such as astrology and energy healing, warning that they can lead to the financial exploitation of vulnerable people.

Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, backed the idea of a ban last year and in January decried the "mass manipulative influence" of fortune-tellers and psychics.

"There is a dark force present in fortune-telling. ​If miracles involve divine power and grace, then fortune-telling involves a devilish power," he told state news agency TASS in ​a separate interview, implying a link with "satanism" which was outlawed ​by the Supreme Court last year.

Asked if the church, which sometimes performs exorcisms, considered psychics as rivals, a spokesman for the church, Vakhtang Kupshidze, told Reuters that this ​was missing the point.

"We don't exactly see them as competitors, because competition implies ... a struggle for clients," he said.