Rosfinmonitoring has added the so-called “international movement of Satanism” to the list of terrorists and extremists, the state-run TASS news agency has reported. This is the second organisation, which legally and factually does not exist, to be recognised as “extremist” in Russia – the first was the “international LGBT movement” in November 2023.
The reasoning behind the decision says that “the movement’s activities are aimed at undermining the foundations of the constitutional order, propaganda of violence and outrage of religious enmity.”
Earlier, the Russian Supreme Court declared the organisation “extremist” and banned its activities in Russia – with the same wording. Before that, in January 2025, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church said that Satanists “freely conduct their rituals and recruit young people in our country”, but in the war against Ukraine “our fighters are ready to give their lives for the values that are clearly despised by Satanists”.
The expertise for banning Rukh was conducted by a group of destructologists headed by Roman Silantiev. It said that Russian Satanist cells were allegedly planning terrorist attacks and sabotage in favour of the Ukrainian armed forces: this was also the basis for the ban.
Several people in Russia have already been fined in recent weeks for “satanic” symbols, mostly related to the subculture of “metal” bands. Given the decision to recognise Satanism as “terrorism” and “extremism” in Russia, the penalties could now be much more serious. Those involved in the cases will face serious criminal offences, blocking of accounts and inclusion in the list of “extremists”, which makes it much more difficult to work and live in Russia.