Anatoly Moskvin, the notorious Nizhny Novgorod maniac, admitted that he exhumed the graves of young girls and created mummies because he “very much wanted a child.” In footage recorded about a year ago by his only roommate and friend in Psychiatric Hospital No. 2, Moskvin elaborated on his disturbing motivations, according to SHOT Telegram channel. The video surfaced recently, drawing renewed attention to the case.
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“I stumbled in life because I very much wanted a child. That’s why I began digging up little girls from graves and bringing them to my apartment. I mummified them, talked to them, and raised them,” Moskvin said in the video.
Moskvin described his collection as including “dolls, girls, and clothing.” He claimed he wished that children would stop dying and that the dead could be resurrected. “I would give my life just so children would not die. I love children and feel pain when they are hit by cars,” he added.
Moskvin Claims Links to Satanists and Witches
In the same video, Moskvin alleged that a group of Satanists and witches existed—and still exists—in Nizhny Novgorod. He claimed they exhumed small boys and girls, dried their bodies, and attempted to communicate with spirits in hopes that Satan would grant them resurrection powers. The International Satanism Movement is recognized as extremist in Russia, and its activities are banned.
SHOT also reported that Moskvin wrote a book in the psychiatric hospital explaining his reasons for digging up the children. The manuscript reportedly details his “great love” for young girls, fascination with cemeteries, and desire to reunite with the bodies of his mummified “daughters,” which he refers to as “adventures.” Hospital staff supplied all materials for the book, but it is unlikely ever to be published, as medical personnel were horrified by its contents.
Potential Release Raises Concerns
Moskvin reportedly hopes to be released under the care of a supposed fiancée, to whom he claims he transferred ownership of his apartment after his arrest. The existence of this woman remains unverified. According to SHOT, he could be released as early as November. Psychiatric Hospital No. 2, where he has been held since 2012 under compulsory treatment for paranoid schizophrenia, has reportedly submitted documents to the court for his transfer to outpatient care under family supervision.
“If someone is sentenced to psychiatric treatment and it is suddenly ‘cured,’ they should still serve punishment in a secure facility. How can such a person be free?” said Mikhail Tarakanov, head of the Nizhny Novgorod Public Monitoring Commission.
As of the latest reports, the courts have not received any new materials from doctors regarding Moskvin. The hospital administration refused to comment on a possible transfer to outpatient care, citing medical confidentiality.
