A man found dead during the climax of this year’s Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert has been identified as 36-year-old Russian national Vadim Kruglov.
Kruglov’s body was discovered at around 9.15pm on August 30, as thousands gathered to watch the burning of the wooden “Man” effigy at the annual counterculture event in the Black Rock Desert, Pershing County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, with the Washoe County Nevada Regional Medical Examiner’s Office confirming the discovery on Wednesday evening. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation.
Kruglov’s friends, who described him as a “true hero of Burning Man,” are now working with his family to bring his body back to his hometown of Omsk, Russia.
“He poured his soul into our community: building the camp, creating an art installation, always ready to help others and being kind and responsive to everyone,” his friend Sofiia Shcherbakova wrote on Instagram.
Sheriff’s detectives quickly classified the death as a homicide and initially asked for the public’s help in identifying the remains on August 31.
“Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances,” Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a press release.
Kruglov, who had been living in Tacoma, Washington, was reported missing by friends on Saturday before his body was located. They have since set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to repatriate his remains to Russia.
Burning Man organisers said in a statement: “Our hearts go out to Vadim’s family and friends and we grieve the loss of a community member. Burning Man Project is doing everything we can to assist the Sheriff’s investigation so the perpetrator can be caught and brought to justice. This includes our intent for a coordinated donation to the Secret Witness program, which offers rewards for more information that contributes to law enforcement’s investigation.”
The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said Kruglov’s body was discovered in a pool of blood in the outer campsite at the intersection of 8:30 and I streets. A fellow “burner” flagged down a deputy to alert them to the discovery.
Witnesses described the area, known as “free camp,” as less organised than the prepaid camps closer to the “Man” structure. Podcaster and model Drea Renee, who was also attending the festival, said the part of the camp felt “eerie” on the night Kruglov died.
“So, it really did feel eerie over there because there weren’t many lights,” Renee told the Daily Mail. “It’s like a whole other world. Placement [of where you camp] does matter in Burning Man, and the more busy and active camps are closer to the center.
“The free camp area, for some reason when I went by there that night, there was just no lights on. There weren’t a lot of people there. I was riding around, and it just didn’t feel right so I said, ‘Okay, I’m getting out of here!’”
She added that as she tried to double back, security officials blocked off the area.
“They actually flagged me down and told me that area was blocked off and I would have to go around. They told me something happened and everyone around was looking very serious. I asked, ‘Sir, can I just go through?’ And he just said, ‘No, absolutely not. No one can go through there.’ I didn’t realize what had already happened.”
The two-week festival ended on Monday, drawing an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people.
In recent years, Burning Man has faced criticism for attracting wealthy tech figures and celebrities, while organisers have stepped up medical and security resources amid common problems with dehydration, desert exposure and drug use.
