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NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia — Police have discovered the remains of more than two dozen women who were dug up from their graves by a man some described as a "genius," BNO News reported.
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The bodies were found this week in the home of 45-year-old Anatoly Moskvina, who lives alone in the city of Nizhny Novgorod in western Russia. The discovery was made when Moskvina's parents visited him after returning from a vacation.
Russian media reported that Moskvina kept at least 26 bodies in his small, three-room apartment. They all belong to females aged between 15 and 26 who died years ago. The bodies were "dried up," Interfax reported.
Life News reported that Moskvina, who is a historian and was also involved in journalism, visited hundreds of cemeteries at night and dug up the bodies with a shovel. He then put the remains in plastic bags and dragged them to his home.
Once the bodies were in his apartment, Moskvina dressed the bodies up as dolls. Photos released by Life News showed one skeleton wearing a dress, stockings and other clothing while another body appeared to have been dressed as a teddy bear.
Moskvina was said to have visited more than 750 cemeteries although it was not immediately clear when he started digging up bodies. On at least one occasion, Moskvina is believed to have slept in a coffin while on other nights he slept on benches at cemeteries, BNO News reported.
Some residents described Moskvina as a genius, BNO News reported. They said he speaks 13 languages and has great knowledge of history, which he used to lecture at a local museum. Police arrested Moskvina and later released him, but it was not immediately clear what charges he will face.
© 2012 msnbc.com
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