Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova | |
|---|---|
 Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova punishing one of her serfs | |
| Born | Darya Nikolayevna Ivanova 11 March 1730 |
| Died | 9 December 1801 (aged 71) |
| Other names | The Saltychikha |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (38 counts) Torture |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 38–138 |
Span of crimes | 1756–1762 |
| Country | Russia |
Date apprehended | 1762 |
Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova (Russian: Да́рья Никола́евна Салтыко́ва; née Ivanova, Ива́нова; 11 March 1730 – 9 December 1801), commonly known as Saltychikha (Russian: Салтычи́ха, IPA: [səltɨˈt͡ɕixə]), was a Russian noblewoman from the Saltykov family, sadist, and serial killer from Moscow. She became notorious for torturing and killing many of her serfs, mostly women. Saltykova has been compared by many to the Hungarian "Blood Countess," Elizabeth Báthory (1560–1614), who allegedly committed similar crimes in her home, Čachtice Castle, against servant girls and local serfs, although historians debate the accuracy of these charges.[1]