Valery Dmitriyevich Solovei (born 19 August 1960) is a Russian historian, political scientist and conspiracy theorist,[1][2][3] who served as the professor and head of the Public Relations Department at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). He resigned from the MGIMO on June 19, 2019.[4][5][6]
On 27 October 2023 Solovei announced that Putin had died on Thursday, October 26, from complications of cancer. According to Solovei, the Putin we see now is actually his body double who has been replacing Putin during last several months on some meetings.[7][8][9][10]
Political forecasts
Solovei is known for his political forecasts.[11] Some of his predictions about changes in the Russian leadership turned out to be accurate. In 2016, he predicted the appointments of Anton Vaino and Vyacheslav Volodin as the Kremlin Chief of Staff and the Chairman of the State Duma, respectively.[12] In January 2022, Solovey correctly predicted the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but had previously claimed that a major war between Russia and Ukraine was "out of question".[13] Solovei also incorrectly predicted a Russian attack on the Baltic states in 2019 and 2020.[14][15][16]
In 2016, Solovei predicted[17] limitations on leaving Russia and the introduction of a tourist exit tax after the 2016 Russian legislative election, which did not happen.
Since 2017, Solovei has regularly predicted an imminent end of Putin's regime in Russia:.[11]
Date of comment by Solovei
Suggested time frame of changes
Quote (translation from Russian)
8 September 2017
2019–2020
"Putin will leave according to Yeltsin's scenario in two or three years"[18]
30 December 2018
2021–2022
"A large-scale political crisis will begin at the end of 2019, it will last 2-3 years and will end with the removal of the current regime from power and the re-establishment of Russia"[19]
24 December 2019
2020
"Putin will leave in 2020, he will be replaced by Medvedev"[20]
13 June 2020
2022
"Already in 2022 we will not see him [Putin] in politics — not Russian and not international"[21]
23 December 2020
2021
"In 2021, Putin will leave and he will absolutely have to leave his post"[22]
"In the spring [2023] Putin will be forced to leave the Kremlin"[24]
23 October 2023
Autumn 2023
"Putin will not live to see the end of autumn"[25]
The rumors about Putin's deteriorating health started by Solovei were subsequently published many times in the Russian-language and English-language press.[26]
