Portrait of a man in a dark jacket.
Share this @internewscast.com

A disturbed bodysnatcher who disguised the mummified remains of 29 girls as dolls will continue to be confined in a psychiatric hospital, a Russian court has decided.

Anatoly Moskvin, 55, turned the dead children into “dolls”, dressing them in stockings, clothes and knee-length boots.

Portrait of a man in a dark jacket.
Historian Anatoly Moskvin (pictured) was arrested after the bodies of 29 mummified girls were discovered in his home in Nizhny Novgorod, RussiaCredit: East2West
Mugshot of Anatoly Moskvin.
Moskvin’s mugshot after his arrest more than a decade agoCredit: East2west News
A child's body lying amidst discarded clothing and debris.
One of the 29 dolls found in Moskvin’s flatCredit: East2West

He was first arrested in 2011 when a series of desecrated graves of girls aged three to 11 led to a months-long manhunt across Novgorod, Russia.

When cops searched the flat Moskvin shared with his parents, they discovered the bodies of 29 girls.

Each had been mummified, dressed in children’s clothes, and arranged like dolls in his home.

The former academic claimed that he practised black magic and believed he could one day revive the children using science.

Moskvin, now 58, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was ruled unfit to stand trial in 2012.

He has been held in a secure Russian psychiatric unit ever since.

Despite several pleas made by Moskvin’s lawyers, a Russian court has now confirmed that the sick man would remain under forced detention.

His term was extended after the chief physician of the psychiatric hospital filed a petition against his release – possibly due to his behaviour.

Moskvin confessed to 44 counts of abusing the graves of girls aged three to 12.

In Soviet times, he worked as a translator for military intelligence in the Red Army, and later wrote several history books

Horror moment sisters are found chained to their beds where ‘Brazil’s Fritzl’ dad ‘drugged & raped them for a year’

The historian, described in court as a genius and the author of scientific papers, gave various explanations for his deeply disturbing behaviour.

Moskvin informed his interrogators that he was hoping for scientific advancements that could bring these girls back to life, alongside his desire to become skilled in mummy creation.

He chillingly said to the family members of the dead children: “You abandoned your girls in the cold, and I brought them home and warmed them up.”

Moskvin added that he had needed biological material for cloning and insisted his actions were not for any sexual motive.

He told investigators: “I felt sorry for the dead children, who could still live on.

“So I kept them until the time when science would have advanced, and revived them.”

Child wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with cartoon characters on it.
The former academic later claimed that he practised black magic and believed he could one day revive the children using scienceCredit: East2West
A courtroom scene showing a man in a cage, other individuals seated at a table, and a guard standing nearby.
Moskvin’s parents attend the original court hearingCredit: East2west News
Anatoly Moskvin, the man accused of mummifying 26 girls, in court.
Moskvin told his interrogators he was waiting for science to find ways for these girls to live againCredit: Newsflash

His mother, Elvira, testified in court: “We saw these dolls, but we did not suspect there were dead bodies inside. We thought it was his hobby to make such big dolls and did not see anything wrong with it.”

Parents of the dead children have pleaded he remain locked up for life, fearing he’ll return to his sinister old habit, which saw him living with some children’s remains for up to ten years. 

In the early years after his arrest, he frequently gave interviews and made bizarre confessions, including that he had slept in Muslim graveyards and visited more than 750 cemeteries.

He claimed: “I lay down in one coffin, and slid another one on top. And I got a good night’s sleep. And no one noticed.”

In 2021, his lawyers tried to argue that he should be transferred to outpatient care and had plans to write a book and work as a language teacher in Moscow.

But the court rejected the plea, as it did again last week.

The court sided with the hospital that he remain under psychiatric supervision in detention until November.

Elderly couple enjoying a meal together.
Anatoly Moskvin’s parents had no idea what was going on inside their houseCredit: Yuri Lando
Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Man wrestling a crocodile.

Outrage as Influencer Colton Macaulay Recklessly Confronts Dangerous Crocodile in Viral Stunt

THIS is the shocking moment influencer Colton Macaulay wrestles a deadly croc,…
Karen Read asks Massachusetts court to throw out wrongful death lawsuit after murder acquittal

Karen Read Requests Massachusetts Court to Dismiss Wrongful Death Lawsuit Following Her Murder Acquittal

Karen Read, who was exonerated from murder charges last month concerning the…
The NEA's antisemitic ADL split: Letters

The NEA and ADL Division: Examining the Antisemitic Allegations

The Issue: The National Education Association cuts ties with the Anti-Defamation League.…
Archaeologist unearths mysterious Christian settlement hidden away for centuries

Archaeologist Discovers Long-Lost Christian Settlement Hidden for Centuries

An archaeologist recently discovered what are likely the remains of a long-lost…
Canadian police official warns 'traditional values' may be sign a person is becoming 'extremist'

Canadian Police Officer Cautions that ‘Traditional Values’ Could Indicate Emerging Extremism

A spokesperson for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cautioned on Tuesday…
Anti-ICE Protestors Douse Themselves in Milk to Fight Off Pepper Spray at Cannabis Facility in California

Protesters Against ICE Use Milk to Counteract Pepper Spray at California Cannabis Facility

An extensive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid occurred at Glass House…
A Texas family clung to life on their roof, capturing the terrifying flooding in photos and video

Texas Family Documents Harrowing Flood Experience from Their Rooftop in Photos and Video

Jane Towler found herself awake in a small cabin by the Guadalupe…
Trump wants mass deportations, but US views of immigration are more positive since he took office

Trump Advocates for Mass Deportations, Yet American Opinions on Immigration Have Grown More Favorable Since His Presidency

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mere months after President Donald Trump’s return to office…
'Oversight can't be scheduled': Florida lawmakers sue DeSantis over 'Alligator Alcatraz' access

“Florida Lawmakers Sue DeSantis Over Access Issues to ‘Alligator Alcatraz'”

The five lawmakers, all Democrats, were turned away from entering the facility…
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order in NH

Judge Halts Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Proposal in New Hampshire

The class action lawsuit covers all children who will be affected by…
Son of ‘El Chapo’ expected to plead guilty in drug trafficking case in rescheduled hearing

‘El Chapo’s Son Likely to Admit Guilt in Drug Trafficking Case at Rescheduled Court Hearing’

CHICAGO (AP) — Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of infamous…
NWS faces vacancies in Florida offices as 2025 hurricane season ramps up

NWS Struggles with Florida Office Vacancies as 2025 Hurricane Season Intensifies

Tom Fahy, the Legislative Director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization,…