Oleg Yurievich Chizhov was born on March 14, 1970, in Birsk, Bashkir SSR, which is now part of Russia. He came from a prosperous family and grew up surrounded by comfort and stability. In school, he showed a talent for mathematics and graduated with honors from a specialized mathematical school. After finishing school, he served in the military. He was part of the Airborne forces in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG).

After completing his military service, Chizhov studied at a pedagogical institute. He later opened his own business and became the owner of an automobile repair shop. Chizhov had a girlfriend named Sveta when he was younger. She lived in Birsk and eventually ended their relationship. Sveta left him for another man, which was one of his first experiences of heartbreak.

In 1994, Chizhov married. Two years later, he and his wife had a daughter. However, their marriage did not last. His wife filed for divorce and took their child with her. During the investigation that followed, she mentioned that Chizhov had many issues in their marriage. She stated that he often cheated on her, drank heavily, and was physically abusive towards her and their daughter. After their divorce, Chizhov began to develop negative feelings towards women.

In March 2006, Oleg Chizhov committed his first crime. He was given a girl named Tatiana Kuznetsova as a "birthday present" by two friends, Rudik Minibaev and Roman Mindibayev. The three of them raped her, and later, they left her half-dressed in the forest. Tatiana died from hypothermia, and her body was discovered a month later.

In May 2006, the police began to suspect Minibaev and Mindibayev. An eyewitness testified against them. Both were arrested, and Minibaev confessed to the crime. However, no one named Chizhov. The police did not find enough evidence, and Minibaev and Mindibayev were released. They later received compensation for their wrongful arrest.

From April 2006 to July 2007, Chizhov continued to commit crimes. He raped and murdered four more women in Birsk and the Mishkinsky District. All of the victims were choked to death. Three bodies were buried in a forest, and one was drowned in the Belaya River. Chizhov used clients' cars to abduct girls from the streets or picked them up while they were hitchhiking.

In July 2007, Chizhov's last crime occurred when he picked up a girl hitchhiking. He took her to a remote area, raped her, and tried to strangle her. Luckily, a witness arrived, which scared Chizhov away. The girl survived and remembered the car's number plate.

Detectives traced the car's registration to Chizhov, who had moved to Tolyatti. He was arrested in August 2007. After his arrest, Chizhov cooperated with the police and showed them where he buried the bodies. His former accomplices, Minibaev and Mindibayev, were arrested again.

In May 2009, Chizhov was found guilty of four murders and five rapes. He was sentenced to 22.5 years in a strict-regime prison. His accomplices received 8.5 years and had to return their compensation. The Supreme Court upheld Chizhov's sentence.