RUSSIANS are in shock over the macabre beheading of a missing female architecture student whose remains were found in a city's botanical gardens after a suspected sex attack.

The severed head of Viktoria Povesma, 20, was dumped in a plastic bag near a pond in Tomsk, Siberia.

She had gone missing after a night out with friends in the city.

Brutal killing: Viktoria Povesma, 20, disappeared after a night out with friends in her home town of Tomsk in Siberia

Police today detained a 29 year old man with 'a history of sex attacks' who has confessed to killing her, say reports citing law enforcement officials.

Investigators later found her body parts during a search for remains relating to a suspected sex attack and murder.

Blonde with green eyes, Ms Povesma was a student of Tomsk State University of Architecture and Construction.

A search had been underway for the student - who was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt when she vanished after a night out with friends on Saturday.

Gruesome: The severed head of the 20-year-old was dumped in a plastic bag near a pond in the botanical gardens of Tomsk, Siberia.

Tragedy: Ms Povesma was a university student set to get a degree in architecture

Suspect: A 29-year-old old man with 'a history of sex attacks' has confessed to the murder

Her parents reported her missing on Sunday after she failed to return home and did not attend a reunion of school friends she had been looking forward to.

She was last seen at a park called Lagerny Garden just over a mile from the Siberian Botanical Garden where her severed head was found.

A statement from the regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said Ms Povesma 'went for a walk and did not come back', reported The Siberian Times.

Scene of the crime: The young woman was last seen just over a mile from the Siberian Botanical Garden where her severed head was found (pictured)

'On Sunday her parents reported her missing and later on 31 July by the bank of a pond in the botanical garden a severed head was found.'

Russians expressed horror today at Ms Povesma's brutal killing.

'This girl is almost a child - these beasts,' said one on social media.

Others expressed disgust at the scale of sex attacks and murders.

'She was such a beautiful and clever girl with her life in front of her - who could do this to her?' asked one commenter.