The Dark Tale of Anatoly Moskvin: Russia’s “Doll Maker” In the quiet city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, a chilling discovery in 2011 shocked the world and thrust an otherwise unassuming academic, Anatoly Yuryevich Moskvin, into infamy. A linguist, philologist, and historian, Moskvin’s reputation as a brilliant scholar was overshadowed by a macabre secret: he had exhumed, mummified, and preserved the bodies of 26 girls and young women, turning them into lifelike dolls.   The Discovery Police entered Moskvin’s apartment in November 2011 during an investigation into a series of grave desecrations. What they found defied comprehension: the mummified bodies of girls aged between 3 and 29, dressed in elaborate clothing, seated or standing around his home. Some were adorned with makeup, and others had music boxes embedded in their chest cavities, playing tunes when touched. Even more shockin g, Moskvin’s elderly parents, who shared the apartment, believed these figures were mere...