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Anyone who is more or less familiar with the case of Andrei Chikatilo knows who was Aleksandr Buhanovski.

Bukhanovski was a Soviet psychiatrist who gained his popularity as the only psychiatrist who was able to convince Chikatilo to talk about his crimes. But here is what Issa Kostoev, a detective who was working on this case, said about Bukhanovski.

“On the third day, I finally felt that Chikatilo will confess. I told him that he is insane. Psycho. That is why we should conduct psychiatric assessment. “You are sick, Andrei. Otherwise how would you be able to commit such crimes? If not illness, how else would you decide to dismember those children?”

Of course it was my strategy. I knew that he was not insane. He was just a smart, cunning pervert. But absolutely sane. This was later confirmed by all professionals in the field of psychiatry. But I had to make him talk. And I chose this method.

He looked at me and said “Yeah, I feel like I should tell you everything. Give me a paper and I will write everything.” And he wrote “I have committed numerous crimes. Aggravated crimes. I am insane. I beg you not to ask me about the details of these crimes, my heart will not survive this. I would like to ask you to treat me at first. Do not think that I want to escape punishment. I am ready to testify.”

This basically meant that he confessed. I have the paper. But I didn’t stop. I was telling him “You are sick, you’re psycho, tell us about the details of each murder. We need to assess you.” And how could I make a mistake at this point? I invited Bukhanovski as a professional psychiatrist to talk to Chikatilo.

In order to convince Chikatilo that he was absolutely insane, I called the head of a psychiatric institution and asked to send me a psychiatrist to assess a person. But I could have asked any stranger to come and pretend to be a psychiatrist. It would be even more effective. I would just warn this stranger that Chikatilo could ask him if he was insane, and a so called psychiatrist should nod his head and say yes.

But I invited Bukhanovski, who later became famous because of this case. I invited him to the room where Chikatilo was and said “Let me introduce you a professional psychiatrist Aleksand Bukhanovski. You can ask him questions.”

And Chikatilo said “You see, I have committed so many crimes, my brain cannot handle this. I had severe headaches, but when I commit crimes I feel relieved.” Bukhanovski answered “Yeah, I understand you. You are not the only one who had this feeling. Medicine is familiar with this phenomenon. We can treat you.” So he was telling Chikatilo what I asked him to tell.

Then Bukhanovski left. But he immediately went to the head of the psychiatric institution and announced “Kostoev is interrogating Chikatilo and he confessed. I personally spoke with him.”