Figures Who Dreamed of Immortality Like Russia's Putin

 

Russian President Putin's Desire for Immortality

It seems that Russian President Putin is interested in living forever in order to continue his dictatorship. His close associate, physicist Mikhail Kovalchuk, is reportedly obsessed with the idea of "living forever without dying" and has presented this idea to Putin. A Russian scientist, who was instructed to research anti-aging methods, mentioned Putin and his close associates, saying, "No one can stop those fools." For years, there have been rumors about Putin’s health. Stories also circulate that Putin engages in almost superstitious behavior to maintain his vitality. One such rumor is that he bathes in a substance extracted from the blood of Siberian deer's antlers, which is believed to restore youth and vitality in men. Let's take a look at some historical figures who, like Putin, followed bizarre superstitions in their pursuit of immortality.

[Moscow=AP/Newsis] On January 19, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin participated in an Orthodox Church bathing ritual by washing in icy water outside Moscow, where temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Jiajing, Who Dreamed of Immortality Due to the Lack of an Heir

Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Jiajing (嘉靖帝) became the 11th emperor of the Ming Dynasty because his cousin, Emperor Zhengde (正德帝), left no heirs. Early in his reign, Jiajing engaged in fierce debates with his officials for three years over the issue of posthumously elevating his father’s status to emperor. In the Ming Dynasty, where the emperor wielded great power, Jiajing eventually succeeded in elevating his father to emperor. However, the intense stress from these debates, along with the early deaths of his sons, made Jiajing worry about his successor. Struggling to have sons, Jiajing resolved to live a long life. He invited Taoist priests from various regions and, like the First Emperor of Qin, subscribed to the theory of immortality. One Taoist priest prescribed the “Hongxian Pill,” which required the menstrual blood of young virgins as an ingredient. Jiajing began forcibly collecting the menstrual blood of virgins in the palace to create this elixir of immortality. Countless palace maids died, and although some attempted a rebellion to kill the emperor before their own tragic deaths, they failed. Even after these events, Jiajing continued to pursue immortality, ultimately killing over 1,000 innocent palace maids. Ironically, he died slowly after taking his so-called immortality pills. Under his reign, the Ming Dynasty began its decline toward ruin.

 

Ming Dynasty's 11th Emperor Jiajing

Han Emperor Wu, Who Spent Enormous Wealth on the Search for Immortality

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (漢武帝) was a ruler who expanded Han territory, uniting China after the First Emperor of Qin. After conquering neighboring countries, Emperor Wu began to indulge in luxuries comparable to those of the First Emperor. He, too, believed in immortality and started to trust the words of Taoist priests, who were little more than swindlers. One of these charlatans, Li Shaojun (李少君), claimed to be over 70 years old despite appearing to be in his 30s. Emperor Wu tested his claims by showing him an ancient bronze artifact and asking, "Can you tell me the era this bronze is from and who owned it?" After inspecting the item, Li pretended to be surprised and said, "I saw this bronze back in the 10th year of Duke Huan of Qi during the Warring States period. It was placed on the white jade platform of the Qi lord." Upon hearing this, people verified Li's statements, which were found to be true. Emperor Wu rewarded Li with high-ranking positions and lavish wealth. Even after Li's death, Emperor Wu believed that he had truly become an immortal. As rumors of Li Shaojun spread throughout the Han Dynasty, many impostors claiming to have immortality elixirs flocked to the emperor. If a priest’s claims were proven true by chance, Emperor Wu would reward them handsomely, sometimes even giving his daughters in marriage to them to ensure the discovery of immortality pills. Desperately searching for the secret of immortality, Emperor Wu was later regarded as a great emperor on par with the First Emperor of Qin.

Han Dynasty's 7th Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty Source: Baidu

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