Tomsk honours the memory of the child and police hunt the vicious killer.
The kidnapping case - every parent's worst nightmare - has deeply shocked the historic Siberian city. Picture: Olga Dubrovskaya
'It must not be like this,' said TV2 journalist Melanie Bachina, summing up the mood of a shocked city.
'Children have to live. Hundreds of people in Tomsk are coming to commemorate life of a little, very little girl.'
People came to lay flowers after the body of Viktoria 'Vika' Vylegzhanina was found on Tuesday, five days after she was abducted from her kindergarten by a middle aged man. She was wrapped in a blanket and discovered on the roof of an abandoned vegetable cellar in the Leninsky district of Tomsk.
Local media reports say that the man had grabbed Vika across the fence of her kindergarten.
Her abduction led to an unprecedented voluntary effort to find her, with more than 4,000 people joining the search, reported 'Novosti v Tomske' website.
Vika's mother was told when she arrived to pick up her daughter that she had been collected already. Pictures: TV2
The kidnapping case - every parent's worst nightmare - has deeply shocked the historic Siberian city.
'The regional investigative department of the Russian Investigative committee has opened a criminal case on child kidnapping - and on kindergarten staff misconduct,' said 'Novosti v Tomske'. 'Police shared with volunteers an image of the abductors appearance.'
The suspect is aged 40-45 years old and between 1.80-1.90 metres tall. His hair is middle length, dark and curly; he has a round face with yellowy skin, and small brown eyes. He spoke as if he was under the influence of alcohol. He was wearing an orange T-shirt and dark sport trousers when he abducted the girl.
The exact circumstances of her disappearance are still unclear.
'It must not be like this,' said TV2 journalist Melanie Bachina, summing up the mood of a shocked city. Pictures: Olga Dubrovskaya
Her mother Galina was told when she arrived to pick up her daughter that she had been collected already.
Speaking before Vika was found dead, she said she did not blame the kindergarten 'nurse' who was in charge of the girl when she was snatched.
'I do not blame the nurse, she is a good woman,' said Galina. 'I like her and the children love her very much.'
Her husband Eduard said: 'Any child could be in our Vika's place'.
Picture below shows Tomsk police image of a suspected kidnapper.
Archeologists discovered a new stone bracelet, two sharp pins, a marble ring and fox tooth pendants.
Comments (6)
Again...condolences & RIP.
Why is this guy still running free, to harm another child?
Somebody there knows who this slimy piece of worm meat is. Time to speak up.
I am looking forward to the day, that he is locked up.
My love goes out to the family and friends of little Vika. So precious.
Tomsk, I hope this never repeats itself.
The world will be a better place without people like him.