Russia is collecting monkey blood to help Putin live till 150 and beat death

Russian scientists are working on an experiment to fulfil President Vladimir Putin's dream of living to 150. The Kurchatov Institute, headed by Putin’s close friend Mikhail Kovalchuk, has collaborated with the Petrovsky Russian Research Center of Surgery to create a bank of blood samples from primates who live for many years. The news was first reported by the independent outlet Agentstvo. The blood will be used to understand how ageing works, Konstantin Kotenko, director of the surgery centre, said at the Kurchatov Genomic Forum. Kovalchuk, who was also present at the forum, said that research on monkeys will be a step towards "creating a regulatory system for extending [human lifespan]."

Reports in the Russian media claim that both Putin and Kovalchuk are interested in extending the human lifespan and living long lives. Kovalchuk's institute has more than 7,000 monkeys belonging to 22 species. Scientists have focused their study on those aged between 18 and 30 to know the condition of their blood vessels, brains, and other organs.

Also Read: 'Longer you live, younger you become': Putin, Xi Jinping caught on hot mic discussing immortality, 150-year lifespan

"We are conducting screenings of elderly monkeys to observe all stages of ageing. We evaluate individuals from 18 to over 30 years old," Kovalchuk said at the forum. “We conduct a complete screening: biochemical analysis, structural analysis, vascular studies, brain scans, everything. Primates are the closest example to us.”

Kovalchuk is also close to Putin, just like his brother Yuri, and is believed to be his informal adviser on science. The country is running a state anti-ageing project which was pushed forward by Kovalchuk, reports by Meduza and Sistema stated in 2024.

Putin's hot mic moment in China

Putin is 74 and dreams of living till 150. He was accidentally heard discussing it with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Beijing visit in 2025. They talked about the possibility of living up to the age of 150. To this, Putin replied that biotechnology can help "continually transplant" organs and may even help them "achieve immortality." "The longer you live, the younger you become," he was heard telling Xi.

Putin's daughter, Maria Vorontsova, an endocrinologist, also recently spoke on Russian state TV about plans to create medicines that can combat old age and "defeat death". She said that the "main driver" for working towards achieving longevity is "the existential fear of death."