The dust usually settles at Black Rock City with a sense of bittersweet closure. But in 2025, the vibe shifted into something much darker. While most of the 80,000 attendees were watching the "Man" effigy go up in flames on the night of August 30, a tragedy was unfolding in the shadows of the outer camps. Vadim Kruglov, a 37-year-old Russian national who had built a life in Tacoma, Washington, was found dead.
Honestly, it's the kind of thing you don't expect at a festival built on radical inclusion and peace. A deputy was flagged down around 9:14 p.m. by a frantic attendee. What they found was a nightmare: Kruglov lying in a pool of blood. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a drug overdose. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office quickly labeled it a homicide.
The Mystery of Vadim Kruglov and the Burning Man Homicide
Vadim wasn't just some random guy who showed up to party. His friends, like Sofiia Shcherbakova, described him as someone who "poured his soul" into the community. He helped build a camp. He contributed to art installations. He was even spotted earlier that week dancing inside the "pyramid" at the Mine Warrior camp. People who knew him say he was kind, the type to help a stranger without thinking twice.
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But then everything went wrong.
The timing is what really gets you. He was killed right as the festival reached its peak. While fireworks were exploding and music was thumping, someone was attacking Kruglov near the intersection of 8:30 and I Street. This area is often referred to as "free camp," a place that’s a bit more wild and less organized than the central blocks. Some witnesses, like podcaster Drea Renee, mentioned that the area felt "eerie" and unusually dark that night.
A Green Knife and a Cold Trail
Weeks after the event, the police dropped a major piece of evidence. They found a green kitchen knife near the body. They believe it’s the murder weapon. They even released a stock photo of a similar knife, hoping someone would recognize it from a camp kitchen or a shared cooking space.
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Investigators are looking for anything. They’ve asked people to dig through their GoPro footage and iPhone photos. Did you see Vadim? Was he talking to someone? Was there a weird vibe at 8:45 and I Street between 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.?
- The Victim: Vadim Kruglov, 37, originally from Omsk, Siberia.
- The Location: Between 8:00 and 8:45 on the I Street radial.
- The Weapon: A green-handled kitchen knife (likely found with a sheath).
- The Reward: A $10,000 reward was eventually offered via the Secret Witness program.
The case is complicated by the nature of the desert itself. By the time the investigation really got moving, the "city" was already disappearing. People were packing up. The dust was covering tracks. It’s a forensic nightmare.
Why This Case Still Matters to the Burner Community
Burning Man is supposed to be a safe haven. It's a place where you can leave your "default world" problems at the gate. But the death of Vadim Kruglov shattered that illusion for a lot of people. His father, Igor, released a heartbreaking video from Russia. He talked about how his son always stood for justice. He wants the person responsible to face the music.
There's a lot of speculation online. Some people on Facebook and Reddit claimed it was a "Bowie knife" attack, though police stuck to the kitchen knife description. Others have complained that the "free camp" areas need better lighting or more patrols. Basically, it’s sparked a huge debate about whether the festival has grown too big to keep its participants safe.
What You Can Do If You Have Info
The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is still on the hunt. They aren't just looking for "suspects"—they're looking for "identifiers." Maybe a tattoo, a specific piece of clothing, or a weird interaction someone caught on the edge of a video frame.
If you were there, check your "Burn" night photos. Look for a man with brown hair, mid-30s, likely wearing festival gear. If he’s in the background of your selfie, you might have the one piece of the puzzle they’re missing.
Actionable Steps for the Community:
- Review your media: Check all photos and videos taken on August 30, 2025, specifically between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. near the 8:00/I Street area.
- Contact authorities: If you saw anything—even something that seemed minor at the time—reach out to Investigator Josh Nicholson at 775-273-2641 or email jnicholson@pershingcountynv.gov.
- Support the family: Friends have organized efforts to help return Vadim's remains to Omsk. Keeping his story alive helps ensure the case doesn't just fade into the desert dust.
The investigation into Vadim Kruglov's death remains one of the most significant criminal cases in the history of the Black Rock Desert. It serves as a grim reminder that even in a place built on "radical self-reliance," we still have to look out for one another.