The pseudoscienza and the conspiracy in Russia emerged in the 90s along with the freedom and to the long-awaited opening to the world that they opened the street to countless “non-traditional” theories e occult knowledge. The economic turmoil and the uncertainty that reigned in all areas of life pushed the former Soviet citizens to seek the most unimaginable explanations of reality. Almost immediately, the pseudoscienza it penetrated the spheres of public health, education and domestic politics and began to have a devastating effect on Russian institutions. To fight conspiracy theoriesin 1998, at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)the main body comprising institutions from all scientific fields in the Russiawas established Commission for the fight against pseudoscience and the falsification of scientific research. However, this has not stopped the spread of “unconventional” science: in 2014, the head of Commission he observed that if they had previously struggled with “God knows what pseudoscientific fixations outside the RAS”, now they are also forced to reason with their own academics.
Since the outbreak of war in Ukrainetraditional Russian science, or in other words normal, is practically in ruin. Many scientists listed have left the country, while those who have decided to stay complain that it has become almost impossible do research: the scientists they come mobilize or persecuted for high treason, le institutions foreign close i common projects, lack of materials for experiments, etc. Meanwhile, the RAS, which should represent the most authoritative scientific institution in the country, has become a real hotbed of pseudoscienze. In March, a serious scandal in the scientific community was caused by the statements of Alexander Kudryavtsevdoctor of biological sciences and director of the Institute of Genetics of the RAS. Kudryavtsevspeaking at a “scientific-theological” conference, openly stated that before the Great Flood people on Terra lived to be 900 years old, and now lives less because of the “Sin original“. The academic explained the genetic diseases with “ancestral and personal” sins because i children “up to the seventh generation they are responsible for the sins of their own fathers“. And this is not the first time that a high-ranking Russian scientist has, to put it mildly, bizarre scientific visions.
As, Anatoly Fomenkoacademician of the RAS and head of the department of mechanics and mathematics of theMoscow State Universityone asked for a long time radical overhaul of world history. Although this is not within the scope of his skillsbelieves that the historical chronology accepted today is incorrect, since the memory writing of humanity can not be traced beyond the X century and historical events can only be reliably judged from XVIII century. Fomenko offers his chronologywhich is based on the assumption that in the Middle Ages there was some kind of gigantic empire with a political center in Ancient Rus’ covering almost the entire territory ofEurasiaof the Nord he was born in South America. According to the books of Fomenko, for example, Christopher Columbus he was a Moldovan, Genghis Khan he was a Russian, and it was the Russians who founded the Aztec, Mayan and Inca civilizations. The father of Jesus Christ was the ruler of Rus’ Yaroslav the Wiseso the Russians also gave the world the first world religion, the Christianity (which in the XV-XVI centuries split into other religions, including Buddhism). The “New Timeline” of Fomenko was immediately rejected by scientific community as based on forgery and data manipulation, but the scientist still managed to open an entire museum dedicated to her near Mosca.
Another example comes fromRussian Academy of Medical Sciences col professor Sergei Konovalovwhich openly defines itself as an intermediary between the people and the cosmic mind. He preaches his “information-energy doctrine” according to which life on Terra originated from a certain Spiral of Light, and organizes regular sessions of mass healing from all diseases. The theory of Konovalov on the “Energy of Creation” is considered blatantly occult by his RAS colleagues, which does not prevent him from drawing profit selling books and making public speeches. Also Vladimir VoeikovDoctor of Biology and Professor at the Faculty of Biology of theMoscow State Universityhe put his ideas into practice opinions scientific unconventional, and now sells “information copies” of various drugs on CDs. to achieve themedicinal effect, il drug it must be “downloaded” from an Internet site and written on a CD; the disc must then be placed in the water which in this way will be “charged” and will become curative. Voeikov also publish gods paper scientists on his method defining it as a technology that “challenges modern thought”.
However, not all supporters of theories pseudoscientifiche they aim to turn their beliefs into business. Someone sincerely and stubbornly believes in this, such as, for example, the director of the Russian Research Institute of Space Systems, the former military Valery Menshikov. In 2008, Menshikov got the idea to install on one of the Russian satellites an engine based not on jet thrust, but on friction in the bearings. This idea has been repeatedly countered by itself Commission to Combat Pseudoscience (it was noted that the principle of the device contradicts the laws of physics: it cannot work in zero gravity), but Menshikov he insisted on getting tested. During the experiment it was not possible to move the satellite out of orbit; The authors they defined the results as “ambiguous”. This experienceHowever, it didn’t convince everyone. As, Boris GryzlovRussian deputy from the party United Russia and partner of the notorious “inventor” Viktor Petrikwho allegedly invented the “eternal battery” and the “filter” for the purification of radioactive water, has come out in defense of the new satellite engine. Gryzlov was outraged by the position of the Commission on Pseudoscience: “How can they assume the responsibility and say what is pseudoscience and what is not? It is nothing but obscurantism“.
The most serious consequences have been caused by the penetration of anti-scientific theories into Russian politics. Here we probably cannot ignore the main conspiracy theorist of the country, “the president’s favorite physicist Putin“, corresponding member of the RAS and head of a huge business empire, Mikhail Kovalchuk. He promotes his pseudoscientific ideas in the media and in parliament, and the same Putin he loves repeating his theories. In 2015, Kovalchuk he told that the West is preparing to breed a “service man”, a new, easily controllable subspecies of Homo sapiens, which will be fed with food GMO and used as a robot. A story with which Putin had long frightened the young people who came in Russia Worldwide. In 2017, Kovalchuk warned that the United States they were developing genetic weapons against certain ethnic groups, thus anticipating the rhetoric of the Russian authorities in 2022.
It is precisely with the beginning of the war that the theories of the plot are genetic biological weapons against the Russians and on US biolaboratories in Ukraine. For example, the former Deputy Prime Minister and former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin he stated that the West is developing “an ethnic weapon” that affects the reproductive function of Russian women and “the immune system in general” of Russians, causing “allergies, intolerance to traditional food and susceptibility to diseases leading to the weakening of the nation and its extinction ”. To this are also added various theory according to which the Ukrainians they are trying to infect the personal military russo with dangerous infections with the help of migratory birds, bats and even mosquitoes.
In general, the authority Russian are used to explain i problems interior with stories about the “Dulles plan” or the “golden billion”. But during the war, when the Kremlin he has to constantly explain to the Russians why they are at war, le conspiracy theories they really thrive. The anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova he even defines conspiracy theory as the modern language of political expression in Russia. Alexander Panchin, biologist, popularizer of science and a member of the same Commission of the RAS to combat pseudoscience, explains why conspiracy theories are in demand not only among officials, but also among the population. In conditions of uncertaintyrisk or stress, the tendency to find regularity where there are none, it strengthens: conspiracy theories greatly simplify reality and make the complex accessible, and this calms and reconciles with what is happening.
It is curious that one of the theory most popular in these times of war either the West is waging a “mind war” against the Russia, destroying self-awareness and changing the foundations of Russian civilization. This is another echo of the ideas of Kovalchuk: eight years ago he predicted that i fake would be implanted directly into the brain to manipulate the consciousness publish affecting both the mind and the subconscious of people. A common example is the argument that propaganda LGBT it’s a project westernthe purpose of which is to prevent the Russians from reproducing.
With all that, the secretary of the Security Council from the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev recently stated that i Western countries they are deliberately developing anti scientific theories aimed at undermining the internal unity in Russia. “Entire institutions in the United States e in Europa they are working tirelessly to create the craziest pseudoscientific theories,” he said Patrushev. He quickly assured however that all these efforts are in vain because “the machine of propaganda western it does not work when it meets the honor, nobility, steadfastness of spirit and unshakable morality of our people”.