Siberia, protest, and politics

Abstract After a spiritual epiphany, the Sakha shaman Alexander Gabyshev became prominent in 2018–2020 by calling Vladimir Putin an authoritarian demon. Critiquing Russia's corrupt society through internet and protest march, rose to civic leadership with multiethnic sympathizers. This article explains why popular, how he threat authorities, especially influential Russian Orthodox elites. Alexander's repression is placed comparative contexts: Robin Hood, Amerindian religious movements, politicized abuse of psychiatric hospitalization. It examines relationship among indigeneity, dissidence, state times trouble, highlighting ethical need for anthropologists, long-term in-depth fieldwork, expose human rights violations interpreted as changeable. The author views potential martyrdom indicator political social fragility.