Biography
Yelena Ivashina was born in Ob, Novosibirsk Region, in a hardworking family where they respected God, but did not delve into spiritual topics. However, Yelena from childhood, asked questions about God and the purpose of life, which her parents could not answer.
She read a lot, loved nature and was an active child: she kept pigeons, did karate and athletics, swam, went hiking, cycled, wrote poems and stories. She also has a younger sister.
After school, Yelena worked and studied at the same time. She liked to acquire different skills: she took driving lessons, courses in psychology, computer literacy, accounting, and a course as a stylist-image-maker. Yelena was a private entrepreneur and at various times worked in sales and for the railway. Recently, she was self-employed and worked online. Her hobbies include psychology, fitness, swimming, walking, and reading.
In 1999, she first learned from the Bible that God has a personal name. Yelena recalls: "This is the God I was looking for, who created everything and governs everything." Then she reviewed her lifestyle, rebuilt relations with her husband and mother-in-law. In 2003, Yelena decided to live by Bible standards and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Since the age of three, Yelena has been living in the Crimea — first in Saky, then in Simferopol. After the death of her mother, she and her husband Sergey, moved back to Saky to take care of her elderly father.
She had met her future husband at a friend's wedding. They got married in 1995. Sergey grew up in a family of railway workers and also chose this profession. The couple travels, cooks, watches movies, and spends time outdoors together.
The criminal prosecution has seriously affected the way of life and the health of all family members. The believer can no longer work online due to a ban on using the Internet. There were difficulties with the payment of taxes and utilities. Yelena cannot even go for walks. Due to stress, she developed problems with blood pressure.
Yelena's relatives and numerous friends, even those who do not share her religious views, are worried about her and consider the criminal prosecution groundless.