Biography
Svetlana Agafonova was born in July 1965 in Votkinsk, Udmurtia. Her parents worked their entire lives at a machine-building plant. They have since passed away.
As a child, Svetlana did gymnastics and attended a circus arts club. After finishing school, she graduated from a maritime vocational college. In the 1990s, she worked as a teaching assistant in a kindergarten, then as a storekeeper, and in the last years before retirement — in a company's cleaning department. Svetlana has long enjoyed knitting and sewing.
Svetlana has known Valeriy since childhood: at school, the future husband and wife sat at the same desk. They married in June 1986. In the fall of 1998, when the couple began studying the Bible, their marriage was in serious crisis — both were already contemplating divorce. However, applying Bible principles helped save their marriage. “We were able to strengthen our relationship, overcome difficulties, and keep our family together. Today, Valeriy and I have been together for over 40 years,” Svetlana says. For her, as for her husband, the Bible hope of the resurrection is important. Apart from her parents, Svetlana lost one of her two younger brothers.
In July 2000, the Agafonovs were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses on the same day. They often walk together in the forest and pick mushrooms. Svetlana and Valeriy enjoy going to the banya, which they consider an important part of their healthy lifestyle. Their daughter Olesya did swimming in her youth and took part in Russian championships. Now, she and her husband also strive to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
The criminal prosecution of Svetlana and Valeriy began in October 2026. After a search and interrogations, the believers were taken into custody and sent to the pretrial detention center in Izhevsk. Svetlana is especially concerned about her husband's health, as he suffers from diabetes.
What happened shocked those who know the Agafonovs well. Svetlana's brother, who does not share her beliefs, is confident that his sister and her husband have not done anything illegal. Some neighbors have expressed their willingness to testify in their defense in court.