In 1999, Russian criminal Viktor Mokhov (Виктор Мохов) was watching a documentary about Alexander Komin, a fellow Russian, who kept slaves in an underground bunker. After learning about a man who enjoyed the absolute power over others, Mokhov had a craving for his own personal harem with sex slaves.
"I wanted to have many children. I wanted to improve the demographic situation of Russia," was Mokhov's sick justification for his gruesome acts, which included kidnapping two young girls and keeping them as sex slaves for almost four years.
Viktor Mokhov's Life Before the Crimes
Mokhov lived in a small Russian town called Skopin, about 90 km from Ryazan. He graduated from college as a miner, but as all the mines in the area were closed and he didn't want to move, he started to work as a metalworker in the Skopin automobile assembly plant. He was described as an exemplary worker, always ready to help and had a decent salary.
His personal life on the other hand, was a misery. At the end of the 1970s he got married but was divorced after only three months. Living with his mother and having no children, he decided to build an underground prison where he could lure girls who would satisfy all of his sexual needs.
The bunker Mohkov built was carefully planned. The entrance was hidden – it couldn't be accessed through the garage door, you had to go around to the side and use a screwdriver to pry back a metal sheet held down by magnets. A stairway down a narrow passage led to the next landing and a concrete wall with two side hatches, one of which led to the horror chamber.
Mokhov's first known abduction occurred in December 1999. He lured a 16-year-old girl and her boyfriend to his home, where he gave them alcohol and tried to take advantage of the girl. Mokhov's attempts were rejected and the girl left with her boyfriend. He then followed her out into the street, hit her in the head and dragged her back to his bunker where he kept and raped the girl for two weeks until she managed to escape. Unfortunately, the victim never reported the incident to the police.
On September 30, 2000, 14-year-old Katya Martynova and 17-year-old Lena Samokhina were returning from a party when Mokhov offered to give them a ride. Offering rides in Russia is a cultural practice and nothing out of the ordinary. Accomplice Yelena Badukina, who was also in the car, offered the girls a drink – vodka laced with sedatives. When the girls became conscious, they found themselves locked in the bunker.
Daily rapes were part of the girls everyday routine. When the girls would comply and have sex with Mokhov he gave them privileges: a television set, tape recorder, paints and some books. When they refused he starved them, cut off electricity and even the air pump.
Because of the harsh conditions, Katya's puberty was suppressed. Lena gave birth on two occasions. Mokhov left both newborns at the entrances of buildings. The abandoned children now live in an orphanage.
Getting Caught
Mokhov became more and more confident and started taking the girls out for walks. When he decided to expand his harem he forced Katya to help him seduce a female student. Instead Katya was able to give the girl an audio cassette tape ‘as a gift’ and asked her to give it to the police, after which Mokhov and Badukina were quickly arrested.
Sentence
According to the forensic psychiatrist, Mokhov was sane and responsible for his actions. He was sentenced to 17 years in a maximum security colony. Accomplice Yelena Badukina received 5 and a half years. Mokhov’s mother, 80-year-old Alice, denied she knew anything about the events and was cleared of all charges.
Pictures of Mohkov's Underground Bunker
Yelena Badukina
