Alexei Andreyevich Varakin was born in 1986 in Tashkent, the capital of the former Uzbek SSR, now Uzbekistan. From early childhood, he reportedly showed signs of mental illness. In the mid-1990s, he underwent multiple psychiatric evaluations and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was treated in psychiatric clinics across Tashkent on four separate occasions before reaching adulthood.

At the end of 2009, Varakin illegally entered Russia and settled in Saint Petersburg, where his grandparents lived. There is little public information about his activities during this period prior to committing his first double homicide in April 2010. By this time, his mental health had already been deemed unstable in his home country, though it’s unclear whether Russian authorities had access to this information when he entered the country.

After his arrest in 2010, forensic psychiatric experts at the Serbsky Center diagnosed him with a form of schizophrenia that rendered him incapable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. He was declared criminally insane and committed to a high-security psychiatric hospital in Russia.

In the mid-2010s, Varakin's mother filed for his return to Uzbekistan. Authorities approved the transfer, and he was returned to Tashkent for continued psychiatric care. There, he was evaluated every six months by a medical commission. In 2021, the commission concluded that his condition had improved significantly, recommending outpatient treatment. He was released by the Tashkent City Court and lived under supervised care while continuing prescribed medication.

In 2023, after inheriting a large sum of money from a deceased relative, Varakin sold the property and violated his supervision order by fleeing to Russia once again. He briefly stayed in Samara and Ivanovo before relocating to Moscow in December 2023, where he would commit two more murders within the span of three days.

Alexei Varakin’s first known murders occurred on April 1, 2010, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He visited an escort agency and hired two women, aged 18 and 42. While the women were in another room preparing for their session, Varakin rummaged through their belongings and stole valuables. When confronted, he stabbed both women multiple times, killing them. He stole over 100,000 rubles in cash and electronics, but was careless and left behind substantial evidence. He was arrested the next day and soon declared criminally insane. In 2011, the court ordered him into compulsory psychiatric treatment under strict supervision.

After being returned to Uzbekistan, Varakin spent years in treatment. He was eventually released in 2021 on outpatient care. However, he violated his conditions and illegally returned to Russia in October 2023. On December 22, 2023, in Moscow, he met 40-year-old sex worker Olga Vorobyova through the internet and invited her to his hotel room. After consuming alcohol together, Varakin demanded sex, but Vorobyova declined, citing intoxication. Enraged, he stabbed her to death and then beheaded her. He disposed of her body in Izmailovo Park, where it was discovered the next day.

Two days later, on December 24, 2023, Varakin met 25-year-old Vlada Skitskaya, a sex worker from Krasnodar. She invited him to her upscale apartment. After failing to engage in intercourse due to erectile dysfunction, they argued. Varakin then stabbed her multiple times. Before dying, Skitskaya managed to video call a friend, showing Varakin’s face. Her friend immediately alerted the police. Officers arrived within minutes and arrested Varakin, who was injured—possibly from a suicide attempt or during the struggle with Skitskaya.

He confessed to both murders and was charged on December 25, 2023. At his court appearance, he behaved erratically—shouting, hiding his face, and requesting solitary confinement. His trial began on January 28, 2025, where he confessed to one murder but insisted the other was “necessary.” Observers noted his strange behavior: he smiled at the judge, spoke in a high-pitched voice, and requested a closed trial due to his mental illness. The court rejected this due to public interest in the case.

He was once again referred to the Serbsky Center for psychiatric evaluation. In March 2025, he was ruled unfit to stand trial and committed to a psychiatric institution under strict supervision.

The case sparked widespread outrage in Russia. Lawmakers demanded stricter oversight of mentally ill individuals with criminal histories. Investigations began into how Varakin was released and allowed to travel. Medical staff involved in his release could face criminal charges if found negligent. As of now, Varakin is committed indefinitely to a psychiatric facility.