Sergey Tsukanov (serial killer)

Sergey Nikolayevich Tsukanov (; born 22 June 1973), known as The Cemetery Maniac , is a Soviet-Russian serial killer and rapist who raped and killed eight women in Likhvinka and Tula during two distinct periods. The first series of murders occurred between 1989 and 1991 when he was only 16 years old, and the second took place between 1998 and 1999. In January 2000, a panel of judges at the Tula Oblast Court declared Tsukanov insane and ordered him to undergo compulsory treatment in a psychiatric clinic.

Biography Sergey Tsukanov was born on 22 June 1973 in Tula. He was the only child, living with his parents and paternal grandmother in a one-room apartment. His father had a criminal record. His grandmother, known for her dominant temperament, constantly criticized and accused Tsukanov and his parents; growing up, Tsukanov developed a deep-seated hatred against her. In his teens, he began exhibiting misogyny toward older women who resembled his grandmother.

Tsukanov attended School No. 13 in Tula, where, in 1988, he attacked the head teacher in the school restroom and attempted to rape her. However, she recognized him, which forced him to flee. The school administration covered up the incident and never reported it to the authorities, but Tsukanov was sent to a mental health clinic for a forensic psychiatric evaluation.

During one examination, Tsukanov stated that his motive for the attack was revenge for failing grades. However, during the struggle, he became aroused by and decided to rape her. The psychiatrists diagnosed Tsukanov with a mild intellectual disability, but declared him sufficiently sane and released him.

Tsukanov returned to school, where he soon began soliciting sexual relations with one of his classmates. After being rejected, his mental state degraded, and he began engaging in self-harm by cutting himself with a knife and other sharp objects. The second series of murders took place at the Smolenskoye Cemetery in Tula, popularly known as "Soap Mountain", which later earned Tsukanov the nicknames "The Cemetery Maniac" and "The Maniac from Soap Mountain".

On 19 August 1998, during the Apple Feast of the Saviour, Tsukanov, intoxicated, found himself at the cemetery where he encountered 80-year-old Anastasia Sazykina, who had come to visit the graves of her relatives.