A Russian man suspected of grave robbing and creating life-size dolls from mummified female corpses has been released from custody after one month. Anatoly Moskvin, 45, a local historian and cemetery explorer, was arrested in Nizhny Novgorod in connection with a series of grave desecrations.
Police found 29 brightly dressed dolls in his flat and garage, with faces and limbs covered in cloth. It remains unclear whether each doll contained human remains. Officials said the remains belonged mainly to girls or young women, dressed in clothes taken from corpses.
Also discovered were photographs and nameplates from headstones, instructions for making dolls, and maps of cemeteries. Shoes found in the flat matched footprints at crime scenes. Some Russian media reported that Muslim graves were specifically targeted.
Moskvin, described as a 'necropolist' or cemetery expert, studied Celtic culture at a leading Russian university and authored many books. He was reportedly well-known in academic circles. A local editor who worked with him described him as a loner with 'certain quirks' but saw no signs of such activity.
In a 2007 interview, Moskvin said he began visiting cemeteries as a schoolboy and claimed to have inspected 752 cemeteries between 2005 and 2007, often walking up to 30 km a day. He mentioned sleeping in a coffin prepared for a funeral.
Police are still working to identify the mummified remains. The reason for Moskvin's release has not been disclosed.
