Biography
Yelena Ivashina was born in the city of Ob, Novosibirsk Region, in a hardworking family where they respected God, but did not delve into spiritual topics. From childhood, Yelena, on the other hand, asked questions about God and the meaning of life, which her parents could not answer.
The girl read a lot, loved nature and was an active child: she kept pigeons, did karate and athletics, swam, went hiking, rode a bicycle, 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 courses in driving, psychology, computer literacy, accounting, and a course as a stylist-image-maker. Yelena was a private entrepreneur and at various times worked in trade and on 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 revised her lifestyle, established relations with her husband and mother-in-law. In 2003, Yelena made the decision to live by biblical standards and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Since the age of three, Yelena has been living in the Crimea—first in Saki, then in Simferopol. After the death of her mother, she, together with her husband Sergey, moved back to Saki to take care of her elderly father.
She met her future husband at a friend's wedding. They got married in 1995. Sergey grew up in a family of railway workers and chose this profession. The spouses travel together, cook, watch movies, and spend time in the fresh air.
Criminal prosecution has seriously affected the way of life and health of all family members. The believer lost the opportunity to 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 had problems with blood pressure.
Yelena's relatives and numerous acquaintances, even those who do not share her religious views, are worried about her and consider the criminal prosecution unreasonable.