Over 80% of Russians say spirits and saints exist, and 85% have practiced magic rituals, a VCIOM report suggests
Around 81% of Russians believe in the existence of at least one supernatural being, while the overwhelming majority have engaged in some form of mystical practice during their lifetime, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) reports.
The survey, which encompassed 1,600 adults and was published on Friday, found that two-thirds of respondents (66%) believe in saints or higher powers protecting people in danger or in battle. More than half (57%) believe in spirits or deities that protect military personnel; 50% say they believe in ‘Domovoy’, a household guardian spirit, and 48% believe in protective spirits for children and animals. Only 22% believe in mermaids and nymphs.
Russians also tend to accept various mystical and magical practices; 85% of respondents say they have tried at least one; 59% have visited sacred healing springs, 52% have consulted horoscopes or astrologers, 37% have tried fortune-telling, 36% have worshiped at sacred sites, and 25% have worn talismans or amulets tied to spirits or natural forces.
Belief in supernatural entities rises sharply with age; 93% of those 60 and over accept at least one supernatural being, compared to 65% for 25-34-year-olds. Engagement with magical practices, however, remains broadly consistent across generations – ranging from 80-88%.
Commenting on the results, Maria Grigorieva, a senior expert at VCIOM’s Department of Political Research, linked them to the ongoing geopolitical instability and uncertainty about the future.
“Superstitions are a universal psychological mechanism – they reduce the stress of uncertainty, the main source of anxiety. The less control people have over their lives, the stronger the belief,” she said.
She added that Russia’s current geopolitical and economic pressures are “intensifying anxiety, provoking a surge in mysticism” – with more people turning to fortune-tellers, horoscopes, and belief in spirits and home guardians.
According to Grigorieva, faith serves as a psychological shield, particularly amid ongoing military threats.
