Biography
Aleksandr Vakarev is a surgeon from Uyar with more than 26 years of experience. Local residents know and respect him. Due to the search and the criminal case against the head of the family and his younger son, Zakhar, the usual life of the Vakarevs stopped.
Aleksandr was born in 1968 in Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has a younger brother. Their father worked as an electrician, and their mother was a cook. She is retired; their father is no longer alive.
As a child and teenager, Aleksandr enjoyed fishing, soccer, and ice hockey. After finishing school, he attended medical college and then entered medical university. He worked in his field — as a surgeon and endoscopist, and most recently, as a surgeon in an outpatient clinic.
In 1997, Aleksandr married Olga, who is also a medical professional. Shortly after the wedding, their son was born. In 2000, the family moved from Krasnoyarsk to Uyar, where their younger son, Zakhar, was born. Aleksandr enjoys cooking and reading; he also has a small collection of antique wall clocks. Olga likes to sing, dance, and write poems. As a family, the Vakarevs enjoy listening to music, watching movies and cartoons, and spending time outdoors.
In 2005, Olga was the first in the family to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses; a year later, Aleksandr also was baptized. He was impressed by the reliability of Bible prophecies and the wisdom of its advice. "It saved our marriage," the believer recalls. "I stopped smoking, swearing, and getting drunk. My wife and I are always and everywhere together." Studying the Bible helped the couple raise their children decently. Aleksandr said: "Teachers at school said they had never had parents who cared so much about educating and ensuring the well-being of their children. The children grew up obedient and received several letters of commendation."
Aleksandr has recurring cancer and is registered as disabled. Due to the criminal prosecution, it is difficult for him to receive treatment in Krasnoyarsk. He also cannot visit his elderly mother in another city. The prosecution of her husband and son has further worsened Olga's already fragile health. However, the difficulties have not broken the family — the Vakarevs are certain that they have committed no crime.