Bio

Vladimir Anatolyevich Mukhankin was born on April 22, 1960, in Rostov Oblast, then part of the Soviet Union. His birthdate was the same as Vladimir Lenin’s, which later contributed to one of his nicknames, “Lenin.” He also called “The Pupil of Chikatilo” because his crimes occurred in the same wider Rostov region associated with serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.

His father left before he was born and that he was raised mainly by his mother. During childhood, he was abused at home and bullied by classmates. He received limited schooling and was later placed in a special school.

As a teenager, Mukhankin began committing robberies and violent attacks. He attacked pedestrians with a metal pipe and stole from them. He was later convicted and spent long periods in prison before the murders. By the time of his final arrest, he had reportedly spent many years behind bars.

After one release from prison, Mukhankin married a woman named Tatyana and had a son, but the child later drowned. He eventually returned to criminal behavior and was imprisoned again in 1988. After his release in the 1990s, he began the murder series that made him one of the most notorious killers in Rostov Oblast.

Murder Story

In 1995, Vladimir Mukhankin began a short but violent series of murders in Rostov Oblast, Russia. Reports place the crimes across several areas, including Shakhty, Tsimlyansk, Salsk, and Kamenolomni. The attacks occurred over less than three months, from February 15 to May 1, 1995.

Most of Mukhankin’s victims were women and girls, although at least one male victim was also reported. Sources describe his methods as stabbing and suffocation. Some victims were also mutilated or burned after death. At least one victim was reported to have been sexually assaulted.

Mukhankin was arrested on May 1, 1995, after an attack in which a woman was killed and her daughter survived. The surviving victim was able to give information that helped police identify and arrest him. After his arrest, investigators connected him to multiple murders and attempted murders in the Rostov region.

During questioning and court proceedings, Mukhankin admitted to the crimes and gave detailed accounts of the murders. He was found sane after a psychiatric examination. In January 1997, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death by a court in Rostov-on-Don.

His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after Russia moved away from carrying out executions. Mukhankin is reported to be serving his sentence at Black Dolphin Prison in Orenburg Oblast, Russia.