March 18, 2026

Man Murders "English Spy" Girlfriend


Man Murders "English Spy" Girlfriend
Jail cell. The Russian Life File

In the early hours of March 13, 2026,, a St. Petersburg resident allegedly murdered his girlfriend, thinking she was an English spy. The 30-year-old man was under the influence of drugs at the time.

According to law enforcement, the man walked into a police station, confessing his girlfriend's dead body was in his apartment on Gladyshevsky Prospekt. When authorities arrived at the crime scene, they discovered the body of the 29-year-old victim in a pool of blood. A knife was sticking out of her neck. Authorities also found a decapitated pigeon in the home. 

According to Mediazona, the killer told authorities that he killed his girlfriend due to his sense of patriotism. It remains unclear why the man thought his girlfriend was an English spy. After killing his partner, the man allegedly ran out of the building naked. He displayed signs of drug use.

The investigation committee opened a case for murder against the Gladyshevsky Prospekt man. The detainee is currently in a psychiatric hospital. 

You Might Also Like

More Undesirables
  • March 11, 2026

More Undesirables

Two American academic organizations have been designated as "undesirable" in Russia, stifling scholastic collaboration.
Groceries for International Women's Day
  • March 12, 2026

Groceries for International Women's Day

United Russia gifted groceries to elderly women, female volunteers, and widows of soldiers who died in Ukraine to celebrate International Women's Day.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955