Posts on the topic of esotericism are actively circulating on the darknet
On the forums of the shadow Internet, advertisements advertising esoteric services are actively distributed, and topics on this topic are opened. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 1,000 posts have been published, Izvestia calculated after analyzing the market of shadow services.
Administrators of darknet resources actively open topics on their sites, where registered users offer to create natal maps (horoscope, built at the time of birth of a person), make predictions in accordance with the sign of the zodiac or read the cards. The price for services varies from 3 to 20 thousand rubles.
"The administration of many forums takes payment from users for placing ads of this type. The price for this can be fixed or be about 30% of the advertiser's earnings. But some sites still allow placement for free, counting comments and assessing how much new content is in demand," said a source working in the darknet.
Administrators also hold contests for which they promise rewards. For example, on May 20, a $50 drawing for creating "the most original esoteric ritual" was announced on the Rudark forum.
The transition of fortune-tellers to the darknet is connected with the strengthening of the authorities' control over the market of esoteric practices. In the long term, this may completely paralyze the sale of such services, both offline and in the white segment of the Internet, says lawyer Viktor Bezyazychny.
Currently, a new bill aimed at banning the advertising of esoteric services has been submitted to the State Duma. From the explanatory note to the project it follows that it is designed to protect Russians "from misinformation, manipulation and negative impact on their physical and mental health."
The authors of the bill explained that currently the initiative does not provide for the regulation of the shadow segment of the Internet, but as the hearings are planned to make appropriate adjustments to the bill.
Read more in an exclusive Izvestia piece:
All horoscope: psychics and tarologists have started to move to the darknet
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