Soviet TV Hypnotist Anatoly Kashpirovsky Dies at 87
The famed Soviet-era psychic healer became famous with his televised mass hypnosis sessions during the perestroika and glasnost years.
Anatoly Kashpirovsky, a Soviet-era hypnotist who gained immense popularity through his televised healing sessions in the late 1980s, passed away on Saturday at the age of 87 in Moscow. His nephew, Yury Mamayev, confirmed the news to state media, stating that Kashpirovsky's death was due to advanced cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain, leading to multiple organ failure.
Born in Soviet Ukraine in 1939, Kashpirovsky initially pursued a medical career, graduating from the Vinnitsa Medical Institute in 1962 and working as a psychiatrist for 25 years. However, it was his participation in Soviet Central Television's "Health Sessions of Psychotherapist Anatoly Kashpirovsky" in October 1989 that catapulted him to national fame, with the program reportedly drawing an audience of over 200 million people.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kashpirovsky ventured into politics, becoming a member of Russia's first State Duma in 1993 as a representative of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR). He also played a role in negotiations during the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis in 1995, attempting to secure the release of some hostages but ultimately unsuccessful.
Despite facing criticism from health regulators for allegedly practicing folk medicine illegally, Kashpirovsky remained defiant, successfully defending his medical credentials in multiple defamation lawsuits. He continued to hold "healing sessions" on YouTube until March of this year. Kashpirovsky's funeral is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, at Moscow's Troyekurovskoye Cemetery, coinciding with the anniversary of the premiere of his six-part television program.
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