Russia's 'Coffin Therapy' Trend Fails to Take Root in Vladivostok

A controversial psychological trend called 'coffin therapy' is spreading across Russia. The practice involves simulating a person’s own burial to help them confront deep depression. While gaining traction in major cities, it has yet to take hold in Vladivostok or the wider Primorsky Krai region. Coffin therapy works by guiding participants through a staged funeral experience. The aim is to make them reflect on their lives and reassess priorities by facing death symbolically. Sessions often include professional psychological support, with costs ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of rubles.

In Vladivostok, funeral services operate differently than in other parts of Russia. The city lacks private funeral homes with embalmers, leaving morgues to handle body preparation and viewings. Igor Strukov, a prominent thanatopractitioner, links this gap to the slower development of the local funeral industry. Despite the trend’s absence in municipal services like Memorial, some agencies in Vladivostok can offer coffin therapy. PrimRitualService, for example, provides the sessions with psychological guidance. Still, the practice remains rare in the region compared to larger Russian cities.

The therapy’s arrival in Vladivostok depends on private agencies willing to adopt it. For now, most residents lack access to this unconventional form of psychological support. The city’s funeral industry structure may continue to limit its spread in the near future.