Mikhail Zaika

Mikhail Sergeyevich Zaika (; born 18 February 1981), known as The Soul Collector , is a Russian serial killer who, together with accomplice Evgeny Kondrashov (; born 1978), committed at least four murders in Saint Petersburg and Suzdal from 1997 to 1999. He was charged with the crimes, but acquitted by reason of insanity and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.

After spending 20 years in treatment, Zaika was released and became an advocate for people with mental health issues. His case is considered notable for being a documented case of a serial killer being rehabilitated and re-adapting into society.

Early life Mikhail Zaika was born on 18 February 1981 in Moscow. His father abandoned the family early in life, after which his mother took the young boy and his sister to Saint Petersburg. While at school, Zaika was noted for being very intelligent and interested in various topics such as chemistry, medicine, politics, philosophy and religion, earning him a variety of nicknames among friends and acquaintances – "Brezhnev", "Satanist", "Pharmacist" and "Chemist". In addition, Zaika was considered attractive among the female students, who nicknamed him "DiCaprio" after the famous American actor.

Mental illness and drug manufacturing At the beginning of 1995, Zaika began to show signs of a mental illness and various eccentricities, which eventually led to him being placed in a psychiatric hospital for treatment. After several months of treatment, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and given medication for it. In late 1995, he, together with 16-year-old Artur Erium and some other friends, began producing homemade drugs in the form of pills inside an apartment. In his free time, Zaika conducted various chemical experiments, making extracts from plants and testing them on himself in an effort to make a new drug.

In early 2020, the commission decided that Zaika's health had noticeably improved, deciding to move him to outpatient treatment. After studying the documents provided by the hospital, the Saint Petersburg City Court approved the discharge of Zaika, who was subsequently released and registered with a psychiatrist. Zaika, who converted to Christianity and started painting while interned, now regularly takes his medication and is described as a religious fanatic.

Following his release, Zaika became a well-known artist in certain circles around the city, as well as a member of the autonomous non-profit organization "Outsiderville", which helps people with mental issues in difficult life situations and in social rehabilitation through art therapy and creative self-realization. Zaika creates paintings in a style he describes as "outsider art" and "art brut", which focuses exclusively on depicting people on the margins of society or outside accepted cultural norms.

In 2023, reporters from RT attempted to interview Zaika, but he declined. In the abstracts of his exhibitions, curators provide information that due to a proper lack of medical care, Zaika had problems with the law and was treated at a psychiatric hospital for a long time. According to his flatmate Maxim, he expresses genuine remorse for what he has done.