Alexander Bichkov
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Alexander Bichkov (1953–2008), known as "Russia's Rambo", was a man who lived alone in a
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
n forest for nearly 20 years. Bichkov was known for stealing from and "terrorizing" locals, and burning down nearby houses. Upon his death a search of his home revealed a large amount of weaponry and other survival supplies. He was shot to death by police on 14 March 2008, following a
manhunt Manhunt may refer to: Search processes * Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive * Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies Social organisations * Manhunt ...
in which two law enforcement agents were injured.


Biography

According to Russian authorities Bichkov came from a family of criminals who had been sent to
Kostroma Oblast Kostroma Oblast (russian: Костромска́я о́бласть, ''Kostromskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kostroma and its population as of the 2021 Census is 580,97 ...
in the 1940s. Bichkov worked in the forestry industry until his disappearance. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Bichkov left his home and family to avoid having to pay alimony to his ex-wife. In 1997 he was presumed dead, and declared as such by his family. He lived in the forest within
Kologrivsky Nature Reserve Kologrivski Forest Nature Reserve (russian: Кологривский лес заповедник) (also Kologrivsky Les) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) created to protect and study southern taiga nature complexes of the Russian ...
, building his own camps at a former forestry station, eating animals he could hunt locally. Bichkov left the forest only in the summertime when he could not easily be tracked back to his camp by footprints in the snow.


Reign of terror

Bichkov was feared by local police following an incident where he kidnapped a police officer who was hunting nearby, and held him at gunpoint. After some time Bichkov released the police officer and fled the scene. Bichkov burned down 30 "holiday homes" that were owned by wealthy
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
residents. Although the police did not investigate, they did name him "Russia's Rambo", based on the
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
from the Rambo film series. Bichkov had an "arsenal" of weapons at his camp, and numerous animal traps, and wilderness survival books. Parents in the area made their children walk to school with dogs for protection from Bichkov. At one point Bichkov used animal traps to capture three government officials, threatening their life if they returned to the area.


Demise

On 14 March 2008 Bichkov was shot dead by a group on a manhunt orchestrated by the Department of Natural Reserves. The group was composed of six police "specialists" (not local to the Kologriv area), some of whom were veterans of the
Afghan War War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) *Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
, and four park rangers. They hunted him down on
snowmobiles A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does no ...
in an attempt to arrest him. Bichkov, who was armed, wounded two members of the posse when he ambushed them. After setting his house on fire, Bichkov was shot dead by a sniper.


See also

*
Christopher Thomas Knight Christopher Thomas Knight (born December 7, 1965), also known as the North Pond Hermit, is a former recluse and burglar who lived without human contact (with two very brief exceptions) for 27 years between 1986 and 2013 in the North Pond area of ...
, non-violent American burglar who lived 27 years alone in the wild


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bichkov, Alexander 2008 deaths People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Russia People from Kostroma Oblast Russian hermits 1953 births