Radik Tagirov was born in May 1982 in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. He worked as a locksmith and had a criminal history of petty theft, for which he was convicted in 2009. After serving time for theft, he experienced a period of homelessness and struggled financially.

Between March 2011 and October 2012, Radik Tagirov carried out a series of murders that shocked Russia. He became known as the "Volga Maniac" because most of his crimes occurred around the Volga and Ural regions. He specifically targeted elderly women, aged 75 to 90 years old.

Tagirov pretended to be a maintenance worker to gain entry into the homes of these elderly women. Once inside, he strangled his victims and stole valuables from their apartments. He committed these crimes in 15 different cities, including Kazan and surrounding areas.

For many years, Tagirov avoided capture. Police finally arrested him on December 1, 2020, after matching DNA evidence and shoe prints left at the crime scenes. Initially, he confessed to killing at least 25 women, but later tried to deny his confession, saying he had confessed under stress.

Tagirov's trial began in October 2022. After careful investigation and evidence, on March 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan found him guilty of 31 murders, along with several attempted murders and assaults. He received a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release.