Natalia Malinovskaya, who calls herself a witch, said her new client base includes men fighting in the Russo–Ukrainian war. Like many Russians, they are increasingly seeking the supernatural amid the conflict and economic uncertainty.
“They contact me, and there are many of them,” Malinovskaya said of Russian troops.
“It's impossible to carry out a ritual at the front. Where would
Russian state pollster VTsIOM said in March that current geopolitical and economic challenges at home and abroad are increasing anxiety and driving a rise in mysticism. According to the poll, 85% of Russians have dealt with magical practices.
“In such conditions, especially against the backdrop of military threats, belief (regardless of which gods are involved) turns into
The survey also found that nearly half of Russians now believe some people can predict the future or possess magical abilities, up from less than a third in 2019.
In 2025, a group of MPs introduced a bill to ban advertising for services such as astrology and "energy healing," warning such services can lead to the financial exploitation of vulnerable people.
Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church supported a
ban last year and in January condemned the "mass manipulative
influence" of fortune-tellers and psychics. In an interview with the TASS propaganda
agency, he said fortune-telling contains a "dark force" and
contrasted it with miracles, which he linked to divine power and grace.