Russian vice-prime-minister, defense minister Sergei Ivanov speaking of the patriotic upbringing of the younger generation mentioned that sometimes 'in news-papers alongside with a good article one can see ads of services rendered by prostitutes, shamans and other cheaters'. This sentence did not go unnoticed. Supreme shaman of Tuvans, doctor in history Mongush Kenin-Lopsan wrote a letter to Ivanov, copying it to State Duma, Council of Federation, in which he underlined that shamanism is a traditional belief of many ethnic minorities, shamans are respected members of the Tuvan society who help people and it is not proper from a high-ranking official to offend representatives of shamanism putting them in the same row with prostitutes and 'other cheaters'. Mongush Kenin-Lopsan demanded that Ivanov should bring an apology.
Tuvan senator Liudmila Narusova supported this demand and asked Ivanov to respect feelings of people who believe in shamans.
Today while in Kranoyarsk, Ivanov, being asked to comment this situation, said that he did not mean to hurt anybody's feelings, that he was misjeard, he said sharlatans not shamans.