St. Petersburg Man Faces Jail Time for Possessing ‘Satanic’ Items at Festival

A court in St. Petersburg announced on Tuesday that a man has been sentenced to 12 days in prison for possessing items linked to an “extremist organization.”

Artyom Repin was taken into custody on Saturday for holding a goblet featuring a pentagram and the image of the occult figure Baphomet, along with a book that had “Satanic Rituals” displayed on its cover. He was heading to the Necrocomiccon pop culture and cosplay festival at the time, as stated by the court. Repin mentioned during a court session that he was arrested at the entrance of the festival while wearing makeup and dressed as a priest.

The Necrocomicon festival, celebrating comic book culture, mysticism, and fantasy, was slated for November 1-2 but was abruptly canceled just hours into the event after law enforcement initiated a criminal case against its organizer, Alexei Samsonov.

Police allege that Samsonov, who has lived in St. Petersburg for many years and holds Kazakhstani citizenship, presented a migration card to an officer claiming his stay in Russia was extended until May 1, 2026. However, authorities claimed that the stamp on the card was not valid, leading to his charges.

He was charged with violating immigration laws, fined, and the court ordered his transfer to a detention center pending his deportation, which is set for January 29, 2026. His current situation remains uncertain.

In July, Russia classified the “International Satanist Movement” as an “extremist” organization.

In April, lawmakers described it as a “misanthropic ideology that justifies evil” and accused it of attempting to undermine Russia’s traditional religions.