Viktor Nikolayevich Bolkhovsky (born 1959 in Kemerovo Oblast, Russian SFSR) is a Russian serial killer and rapist, known in Russian media as “The Necromancer Maniac.” He was convicted of multiple violent offenses, including the murders of three women between 1998 and 1999, and is serving a life sentence at the Black Dolphin Prison in Sol‑Iletsk, Orenburg Oblast.
Early life
Bolkhovsky was the third child of an average family in Kemerovo Oblast. At the age of two he suffered a head injury from a fall, after which acquaintances described him as withdrawn, introverted, and prone to impulsive aggression. He completed secondary school with satisfactory marks and enrolled in a vocational school in Beryozovsky. Following his parents’ divorce, his behavior reportedly deteriorated, and he left home in 1965, taking employment at a woodworking factory. At 17 he married a woman named Svetlana, with whom he later had a daughter.
Criminal record prior to serial murders
- 1977 – Convicted of damaging state property (breaking a neighbour’s window) and sentenced to six months of correctional labour.
- 1980 – Murdered his wife Svetlana during a domestic dispute; he confessed, was convicted of non‑aggravated murder, and sentenced to 9 years 6 months in prison.
- 1988 – Attempted assaults on two women while intoxicated; convicted of hooliganism and sentenced to 6 years 2 months in a strict‑regime colony, along with compulsory treatment for alcoholism.
- 1992 – Sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for sending threatening letters to a state official.
- 1994 – Convicted of theft and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Serial murders (1998–1999)
After his release in 1998, Bolkhovsky resumed contact with women through “lonely hearts” newspaper advertisements, presenting himself as a successful businessman or a lonely widower. Between the summer of 1998 and November 1999 he murdered three women in the Kemerovo and Zabaykalsky regions. His modus operandi involved arranging meetings through the advertisements, gaining the victims’ trust, and then killing them in their homes. The victims were all young women seeking companionship through personal ads.
Arrest, trial, and imprisonment
Bolkhovsky was apprehended for the final time on 12 November 1999. He was tried and convicted of aggravated murder (three counts), child sexual abuse (related to his earlier offenses), and other charges. The court imposed a life sentence, and he has been incarcerated at the Black Dolphin Prison, a high‑security facility for the most serious offenders.
Known aliases
- “The Necromancer Maniac” (Russian: Маньяк‑некромант)
References
- Wikipedia contributors. “Viktor Bolkhovsky.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Bolkhovsky.
- Serial Killer Database Wiki. “BOLKHOVSKY Viktor Nikolayevich.” https://skdb.fandom.com/wiki/BOLKHOVSKY_Viktor_Nikolayevich.
- “Lonely Hearts Killer.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonely_hearts_killer.
Note: All information presented is drawn from publicly available encyclopedic sources and reflects the current documented record.