Vladimir Putin and Elon Musk are two seemingly very different figures, but they share a common interest: the conquest of space and the idea that one day man can conquer death. The connection between them comes from the theories of a Russian philosopher and scientist, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who more than a century ago dreamed of humanity leaving Earth and spreading throughout the universe.
It all started in 2007, when Putin visited Tsiolkovsky’s house-museum in the city of Kaluga, southwest of Moscow. Tsiolkovsky was a self-taught teacher who became one of the pioneers of ideas for space travel and rocket design. He is also known for his influence on the development of Russian scientific thought on exploring the universe.
During the visit, Putin spoke about the importance of space and how its exploration can improve people’s lives. He also quoted one of Tsiolkovsky’s most famous quotes: “Earth is the cradle of reason, but man cannot live forever in the cradle.”
A few months later, the Russian president signed a decree to build a new rocket launch base, as Russia sought to have a cosmodrome on its territory, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the demise of the Baikonur base in Kazakhstan.
In 2013, Putin visited the construction site of the Vostochny cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. The project was seen as a symbol of Russia’s return to power and prestige after the difficult period that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. At the time, Putin also presented space as a field where countries could cooperate and overcome tensions between them. The city built near the base was named after Tsiolkovsky.
In the years that followed, Putin repeatedly returned to the Russian philosopher’s ideas, including the possibility that humans could live to be 200 years old, defeat death, and influence their own biological evolution. However, Tsiolkovsky had gone even further in his thoughts. He believed that man could achieve immortality and that humanity would one day populate the entire universe.
This is where Elon Musk comes in. In 2018, during an event dedicated to the series “Westworld,” the American entrepreneur spoke about his plans for colonizing Mars and made extensive reference to Tsiolkovsky’s theories. This showed that Musk was aware of the Russian scientist’s thinking and that his ideas continue to influence people who aim to take humanity beyond Earth.
In 2021, Musk published on the social network Twitter, today X, the same Tsiolkovsky quote that Putin had quoted in 2007. He described it as one of his favorite quotes, written by a great man.
According to Russian philosophy scholar Michael Eltchaninoff, Tsiolkovsky’s ideas did not remain confined to Russia. In his book “Lenin Walked on the Moon,” he explains that the thinking of Russian cosmists and transhumanists has also influenced the way some of the most prominent tech entrepreneurs see the future of humanity.
In Silicon Valley, several billionaires are funding research to slow aging and extend human lifespan. Sergei Brin and Larry Page have backed scientific projects, while Peter Thiel has expressed interest in research aimed at challenging aging. Jeff Bezos is also investing in both space technologies and longevity research.
Some researchers and entrepreneurs go even further, supporting ideas such as preserving the body at very low temperatures after death, in the hope that future science may enable a return to life. All of these efforts are linked to a common idea: extending human life and expanding the possibilities for life beyond Earth.
For Eltchaninoff, to understand some of today’s technological ambitions, we need to go back to the Russian thinkers who floated these ideas more than a century ago.
Thus, an unknown philosopher from a provincial Russian town has left its mark on the thinking of two important figures of our time. Putin and Musk may have different visions of the world, but both are inspired by the same idea: Earth may not be the final frontier of humanity.