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Biography[]
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo (Russian: Андре́й Рома́нович Чикати́ло, romanized: Andréj Románovič Čikatílo; Ukrainian: Андрій Романович Чикатило, romanized: Andrij Romanovyč Čykatylo; 1936 — 1994) was a Soviet serial killer nicknamed The Butcher of Rostov, The Rostov Ripper, and The Red Ripper who sexually assaulted, murdered, and mutilated at least fifty-two women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Russian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, and the Uzbek SSR.
Early life[]
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo was born on October 16, 1936, in Yablochnoye, Soviet Union. Raised during the turbulent years of Joseph Stalin's regime and World War II, Chikatilo experienced the hardships of famine and conflict, which shaped his early life.
Educational and Military Service[]
Chikatilo pursued higher education, graduating from a pedagogical institute in 1960. He worked as a teacher and later as a communications engineer. During his military service in the Soviet Army, he reportedly faced accusations of theft.
Criminal Activity Begins[]
Chikatilo's criminal record started in 1978 when he was arrested for theft of property at his workplace. However, his more sinister activities emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he began a series of brutal murders.
Modus Operandi[]
Chikatilo's victims were primarily young women and children. His modus operandi involved luring individuals to secluded areas, where he would sexually assault, mutilate, and murder them. He gained notoriety for his extreme acts of violence, including cannibalism and mutilation of his victims' bodies.
Arrest and Trial[]
Chikatilo evaded capture for an extended period due to errors in the investigation and the prevailing political climate. He was finally apprehended on November 20, 1990. In 1992, Andrei Chikatilo faced trial for 53 murders, though he later confessed to a total of 56. The trial revealed gruesome details of his crimes, causing shock and horror in the courtroom.
Conviction and Execution[]
On October 15, 1992, Chikatilo was found guilty and sentenced to death for multiple counts of murder and sexual assault. On February 14, 1994, Andrei Chikatilo was executed by a single gunshot to the back of the head. His reign of terror left a lasting impact on criminal profiling and investigations in Russia.
Legacy[]
Andrei Chikatilo's case remains one of the most infamous in the history of serial killings. His ability to blend into society, coupled with the brutality of his crimes, shook the public's confidence in safety. The Chikatilo case also highlighted shortcomings in the Soviet criminal justice system and contributed to changes in law enforcement procedures.
Chikatilo's life and crimes have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films.
Victims[]
Confirmed victims[]
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Body Found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelena Zakotnova | 9 | December 22, 1978 | December 24, 1978 |
| Larisa Tkachenko | 17 | September 3, 1981 | September 4, 1981 |
| Lyubov Biryuk | 13 | June 12, 1982 | June 27, 1982 |
| Lyubov Volobuyeva | 14 | July 25, 1982 | August 7, 1982 |
| Oleg Pozhidayev | 9 | August 13, 1982 | Never found |
| Olga Kuprina | 16 | August 16, 1982 | October 27, 1982 |
| Irina Karabelnikova | 18 | September 8, 1982 | September 20, 1982 |
| Sergey Kuzmin | 15 | September 15, 1982 | January 12, 1983 |
| Olga Stalmachenok | 10 | December 11, 1982 | April 14, 1983 |
| Irina Dunenkova | 13 | July 1983 | August 8, 1983 |
| Lyudmila Kutsyuba | 24 | July 1983 | March 12, 1984 |
| Igor Gudkov | 7 | August 9, 1983 | August 28, 1983 |
| Novoshakhtinsk Jane Doe | 18-25 | July-August 1983 | October 8, 1983 |
Suspected victims[]
| Name | Age | Disappeared | Body Found | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Timeline[]
Bibliography[]
Literature[]
- Conradi, Peter. The Red Ripper: Inside the Mind of Russia's Most Brutal Serial Killer,. ISBN 978-1504040167
Articles[]
- "Andrei Chikatilo". Biography (April 2, 2014).
- Charles Montaldo (December 6, 2021). "Profile of Andrei Chikatilo, Serial Killer". ThoughtCo.
- Katie Serena (June 22, 2023). Inside The Gruesome Murders Of Soviet Serial Killer Andrei Chikatilo, The ‘Red Ripper of Rostov’. All That's Interesting.
Documentaries[]
Television[]
- The Hunt for the Red Ripper (1993), a 50-minute documentary directed by Martin Coenen.[link needed]
- Criminal Russia: In the Wake of Satan (1997), a documentary that was broadcast on the Russian TV channel NTV.[link needed]
- Inside Story: The Russian Cracker (1999), a BBC documentary focusing upon the disproportionate number of serial killers in Rostov-on-Don in the years leading to and immediately following the collapse of the , and the efforts of Dr. Aleksandr Bukhanovsky to treat offenders. The case of Chikatilo is one of several included within this documentary.[link needed]
- The Butcher of Rostov (2004), a 45-minute Biography Channel documentary focusing upon the murders committed by Chikatilo. Viktor Burakov is among those interviewed for this documentary.[link needed]
YouTube Documentaries[]
Podcasts[]
- Andrei Chikatilo - Part 1. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
- Andrei Chikatilo - Part 2. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
In popular culture[]
Film adaptations[]
- Citizen X (1995) on IMDb (Citizen X Trailer on YouTube)
- Evilenko (2003) on IMDb (Evilenko Trailer on YouTube)
- Child 44 (2015) on IMDb (Child 44 Trailer on YouTube) is based upon the fiction novel Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, which was itself inspired by the Chikatilo case (but with the era changed to the 1950s). Chikatilo, fictionalized as "Vladimir Malevich", is portrayed by British actor Paddy Considine.
- Chikatilo (2021 — 2022) on IMDb, a OKKO Studios (Russian television) mini-series illustrating the investigation into the murders committed by Chikatilo.
Related Articles[]
See also[]
- Vladimir Retunsky, also called "The Chikatilo of Khopyor River", killed 8 and 10 people between 1990 and 1996.
- Sergey Golovkin, also called "Chikatilo's Apprentice", killed 11 and 13+ people between 1986 and 1992.
- Vadim Ershov, also called "The Krasnoyarsk Chikatilo", killed 19 people between 1992 and 1995.
- Sergey Shipilov, also called "The Velsk Chikatilo", killed 14 people between 1995 and 1999.
- Sergey Chyorny, also called Smolensky Chikatilo, killed 10 to 11 people in 1999.
- Anatoly Sedykh, also called "The Lipetsk Chikatilo", killed 12 people between 1998 and 2003.
- Abdufatto Zamanov, also called "The Krasnoyarsk Chikatilo", killed 14 people between 2002 and 2004.
Links[]
- Andrei Chikatilo at Wikipedia
- Andrei Chikatilo. Radford University.