Biography
Aleksey was born in February 1978 in the village of Mayna (Khakassia), where he lived his entire life except during his compulsory military service. His mother raised Aleksey and his older sister on her own. She had to work a lot — as a cook in a kindergarten and as a ward assistant in a hospital — so their grandmother helped a lot in raising the children. In her final years, Aleksey's mother suffered from dementia, and he cared for her until her death in 2023.
From childhood, Aleksey was active in sports and loved boxing. Up until his arrest, he did weightlifting and regularly went to the gym. He also enjoys riding an enduro motorcycle off-road.
After 9th grade, Aleksey immediately started working to help his mother financially. He trained as an auto mechanic, a metalworker, and a bodyguard. He worked in security, and for the last 17 years he was a potline operator at an aluminum plant.
Aleksey began studying the Bible after seeing how it had changed his childhood friend for the better. He wanted to have the same kind of faith. He was impressed by how Bible prophecies are fulfilled in our time. He was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2000. "The truth made me more patient and calmer; I became closer to my sister and mother," he said. Seeing these changes in her son, his mother also became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
In 2001, Aleksey married Natalya, who shares his religious beliefs. She has two daughters, whom Aleksey raised as his own. Both are now adults with their own families. The family loved spending time outdoors and sitting by the campfire, enjoying God's creation.
Aleksey was 2 years away from retirement when, because of the criminal prosecution, he was forced to resign "voluntarily" — he was told the order came from the FSB. After his arrest, all financial responsibilities fell on his wife.
Aleksey's children and other relatives are outraged by his prosecution. The actions of law enforcement officers took a toll on the health of Natalya and Aleksey: their chronic illnesses worsened. Natalya, who suffered a stroke in 2017 and has a disability, noted, "The separation has deeply affected us emotionally. In 25 years, we had never been apart for so long."