health
December 30, 2025
Stopping the clock. Why has Russia massively increased its funding of anti-ageing research?
An elderly woman walks past a street art exhibition called We Bring Peace! in Moscow, Russia, 5 April 2024. Photo: EPA / YURI KOCHETKOV
TL;DR
- Funding for anti-ageing research projects in Russia has grown sixfold since 2021 compared to the previous five-year period.
- The Russian Science Foundation (RSF) has increased its grants for anti-ageing research from €215,000 (2016-2020) to €1.8 million (since 2021).
- Projects include studying innate immunity mechanisms, brain and eye changes related to Alzheimer's, and neural activity during ageing.
- Maria Vorontsova, Vladimir Putin's eldest daughter, heads a project on cell renewal and longevity, receiving a potentially large grant despite a lower Hirsch index.
- Putin has publicly discussed prolonging human life with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- A new national project announced by Putin in 2024 focuses on health preservation technologies, including anti-ageing aspects.
- Some initiatives, like the one initiated by Mikhail Kovalchuk, face skepticism regarding scientific merit and feasibility.
- Investigative reports suggest Putin has considered non-scientific rejuvenation methods like antler baths.
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