Biography
When Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on Anatoliy Artamonov's door in the early 1990s and told him about the biblical hope for a better future, he wanted to know more about it. 30 years later, the man was prosecuted for his love of the Bible.
Anatoliy was born in 1952 in the resort village of Kuldur (Jewish Autonomous Region), famous for its hot springs. His father worked as a carpenter, and his mother was the commandant of a dormitory. The couple raised six children—four boys and two girls. Anatoliy was the third child in the family. When he was one, his parents moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then settled in Birobidzhan. Now they are no longer alive.
After school, Anatoliy entered a vocational school, where he received the specialty of a fitter. He served 2 years in the Soviet Army in the village of Ust-Kamchatsk. After demobilization, he returned to Birobidzhan, where he worked at various enterprises as a turbine driver, assembler, and welder. Recently he has been working as an electrician in a city hospital. From childhood to this day, the man is fond of fishing.
Anatoliy is married to Lyudmila, with whom they raised two children. In 1994, they officially registered their marriage, and in 1995, together with their daughter Larisa, they became Jehovah's Witnesses. Later, they were joined by Anatoliy's elder sister, his mother and grandson. The son of the believer does not share their beliefs, but they have a good relationship, the men work together.
The criminal prosecution affected not only Anatoliy, but also his daughter Larisa and grandson Yevgeniy. They have already served sentences on similar charges —2.5 years suspended. Relatives and friends are worried about Anatoliy and support his family during this difficult period of his life.