Arsen Salavatovich Bayrambekov was born in 1978 in Makhachkala, the capital of the Dagestan ASSR, in the former Soviet Union. From an early age, he trained in Muay Thai and reportedly earned the title of master, although official documentation to support his sporting achievements remains unverified. He dropped out of school during the 1990s due to instability in the North Caucasus region caused by military conflicts, particularly the Chechen wars. Despite his incomplete education, Bayrambekov later acquired a fake school certificate and diploma, which were discovered by investigators after his arrest.

In 1999, Bayrambekov began working in border security with Makhachkala’s Department of Internal Affairs and participated in a counter-terrorism operation in Kadar. He resigned a year later and moved to Yekaterinburg, where he did manual labor to make a living. Bayrambekov claimed to have continued his sports career and worked as a boxing coach throughout the 2000s, but there is little evidence to support these claims aside from a photo on a Muay Thai website.

Over time, his interests shifted toward mysticism and the occult. He developed a fascination with neo-paganism, including ritual sacrifice, and built a makeshift altar at his home in Kamyshevo. He conducted small rituals involving animals and his own blood, pricking his finger during ceremonies. He also opened a magic shop in Yekaterinburg, offering reiki healing and rune-based fortune-telling, though this business was not financially successful. In 2014, he met Tatyana Solovyova, an occult enthusiast who shared his beliefs.

Bayrambekov’s violent criminal activity began in 2003 when he joined a gang in Yekaterinburg led by Ruslan Aliyev. That year, a trucking businessman paid him $1,500 to murder a competitor. Bayrambekov carried out the hit using a borrowed AK-47, shooting the victim near a shopping center. Two years later, he was caught trying to sell Kalashnikov rifles and sentenced to four years for arms trafficking. He was paroled in 2007.

On November 17, 2010, he committed a second contract killing, this time for 40,000 rubles. He shot and killed Shukhrat Khamrakulov, a vegetable market trader, near the man’s home. His gang leader, Aliyev, again served as intermediary for the murder.

By 2013, Bayrambekov’s criminal path took a darker, more ritualistic turn. Deeply immersed in neo-pagan beliefs, he constructed an altar and began sacrificing animals and offering blood in ceremonies. In 2014, with encouragement from his partner, Tatyana Solovyova, he escalated to human sacrifices. Over the course of several months, the pair lured vulnerable individuals — mostly homeless or marginalized men — into their car, often under the pretense of offering a ride or drink. They drove their victims to a wooded area near Ganina Yama, a site they believed held spiritual energy due to its historical and ritual associations.

At the site, they conducted ceremonies at night, surrounded by a circle of stones and fire. Victims were tied up, sometimes intoxicated with alcohol, and murdered in ritualistic fashion — their throats slashed or bodies stabbed. The first victim was a 20-year-old man who washed car windows to earn a living. He was lured with alcohol and promises of a ride. After a mock ceremony, Bayrambekov cut his throat and buried him in a pit. Days later, his friend, 23-year-old Denis Musin, was killed in nearly identical fashion. Two more men followed, both living in poverty and lured under false pretenses before being killed in ritual sacrifices.

Authorities began investigating the disappearances of the first two victims. A tip pointed to Solovyova, who had spoken to someone about the murders. She was detained and quickly confessed, implicating Bayrambekov. He was arrested on August 1, 2015. In custody, Bayrambekov struck a plea deal with prosecutors. He confessed to all six murders, including the contract killings, and led investigators to the burial sites.

Bayrambekov denied rumors that he exhumed bodies to perform resurrection rituals, although media reports circulated that he had attempted to raise the dead as zombies. During his trial, he remained silent and showed no visible reaction to the verdict, which shocked many in the courtroom. Despite the brutal nature of his crimes, he received only 13 years and 2 months in prison as part of the plea agreement.

Solovyova was initially placed under house arrest but fled upon learning Bayrambekov’s sentence. She was captured in December 2017 while attempting to leave the country. In March 2018, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in the killings.