“Don’t Lose Heart and Keep Doing Good.” Vladimir Popov from Gukovo Released After Nearly Six Years Behind Bars

On May 22, 2026, Vladimir Popov, a 59-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was released from Penal Colony No. 3 in Dimitrovgrad. At the facility's gates, he was finally reunited with his wife and friends.

Vladimir's wife, Irina, said: "We lived together for 35 years and weren't just spouses—we were close friends, too. We talked all the time, discussed everything together, shared our feelings and worries. When he was arrested, all of that stopped in an instant. For about three years, while Vova (a shortened name of Vladimir -- ed.) was in a pretrial detention center, we saw each other only in court." Later, Irina was able to visit her husband in the penal colony.

"The hardest part in prison was the waiting... but prayer and hope helped," Vladimir Popov said after his release. Physically, it wasn't easy either: at times there was constant noise in the cell, so it was impossible to get proper sleep. His body began to falter—blood pressure spikes, dizziness, pain in his back and joints. In addition, the believer waited nearly two years for dental treatment; he received help only shortly before his release.

While in the colony, Vladimir Popov worked in the sewing shop—first as a packer, and later as a sewing-machine mechanic. Several times the administration recognized his work with commendations and a certificate of merit.

"My husband is a very sociable person with a sense of humor, so it wasn't hard for him to find common ground with people even in prison," Irina said. "The guards spoke well of him, and so did his cellmates. Some guys who'd already been released once told me that even though Uncle Vova is much older—about the same age as their father—he was a friend to them: always ready to support them, help out, and give advice."

"It's important not to lose heart and to keep doing good," Vladimir Popov concluded.

The criminal prosecution of Vladimir Popov for his faith as one of Jehovah's Witnesses began with searches in August 2020. Since then, he had been behind bars. Vladimir Popov and five fellow believers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. One of them, Aleksey Dyadkin, remains in a penal colony and is due to be released in June.