Facility Details
Occupant: Andrei Chikatilo (1936-1994)
Type: Unmarked Prison Grave
GPS: 47.2357° N, 39.7015° E (Approx)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Get DirectionsWhy It's a "Must-Go"
The "Butcher of Rostov" was executed with a single shot to the back of the head, a fittingly unceremonious end. He was buried in an unmarked grave within the prison grounds. It's not exactly a tourist hotspot, mostly because of the razor wire and armed guards.
But knowing he's rotting under the mud of a Russian prison yard brings a certain warmth to the heart. It's a cold, hard place for a cold, hard man.
The "Experience"
Strictly prohibited. You can't get in, and you definitely don't want to stay. But you can stand outside the walls and know that justice, in its own grim way, was served.
Why This Listing Exists
Andrei Chikatilo was a Soviet serial killer who sexually assaulted, murdered, and mutilated at least 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990 in the Russian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, and the Uzbek SSR.
Known as the "Red Ripper" and the "Rostov Ripper," Chikatilo preyed on runaways and people he met at bus and train stations. His crimes were savage, involving mutilation and cannibalism.
After a massive police operation, he was arrested in 1990. He confessed to 56 murders and was tried in a cage to protect him from the victims' families. He was convicted of 52 murders and sentenced to death.
Chikatilo was executed by gunshot in February 1994. His body was buried in an unmarked grave in a prison cemetery, ensuring that no monument would ever stand to honor the man who brought so much terror to the Soviet Union.