SUPREME SHAMAN ELECTED IN RUSSIA FOR FIRST TIME
In the capital of Tuva, more than 100 shamans from throughout Russia gathered. There also were foreign candidates, shamans from Mongolia and Austria. Only active shamans participated in the voting. The procedure was to select from three candidates: the supreme shaman of Tuva, Kara-ool Dopchun-ool; the chairman of the Irkutsk shaman organization, Artur Tsybikov; and the founder of the Fund for the Revival of the Identity of Khakas People, Vladimir Cheltygmashev.
Candidate for Supreme Shaman of Russia, Vladimir Cheltygmashev (Khakasia): "It is not important whether I am elected or someone else; just so that there be an elected Supreme Shaman of Russia in order to create a structure, a vertical, to be the unifying link of all shamans."
Candidate for Supreme Shaman of Russia Artur Tsybikov (Irkutsk oblast): "There are very many shamans, there are very many opinion, there are very many nations, there are very many problems, both for the common people and for shamans. It will be necessary to resolve all of this. There definitely will be little sleep and very many trips and much work."
As a result of open voting, the representative of Tuva won. Kara-ool Dopchun-ool is famed as a healer and a fortune teller on cards, stones, and sheep shoulder-blades. He specializes in nervous disorders and kidney diseases. He uses energy massages and hypnosis.
Supreme Shaman-elect of Russia, Kara-ool Dopchun-ool (Tuva): "We will develop in different regions where there should be shamans and where there were shamans previously. And we will facilitate the development of shamanism in centers and in the provinces."
The initiator of the election was the Society of Shamans of Tuva. This will give official status to shamanism as a religion. Plans include the creation of a center of shamanism; it will unite all representatives of this movement in Russia. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 June 2018)
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