Biography
Sergey Kosyanenko is a peaceful believer from the town of Znamensk. He is an international master of sport and a record holder and multiple winner of all-Russian and international tournaments in weight lifting. In the fall of 2021, security forces raided his home and conducted a search. Sergey was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sent to a pre-trial detention center. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison because of his love for the Bible.
Sergey was born in June 1961 in the urban-type settlement of Elani, Volgograd Region. He is the oldest of three children. Since early childhood, Sergey has loved sports; he played football and hockey and was also fond of collecting stamps. At the age of 13, he entered the Kosovo Art College, where he became a master of artistic woodworking.
Sergey has a rich history of professional activity. He worked as a graphic designer, served as an ensign in a marine brigade in the Baltic Fleet, and worked as a teacher in a secondary school and gymnasium, as well as in a youth sports school.
Sergey has been kettlebell lifting for many years. He set two Russian records in the weight category up to 65 kg and developed a training method that prepared many winners, including women.
Until his criminal prosecution, Sergey lived in the town of Znamensk, Astrakhan Region, and worked as a sports instructor, promoted sports among young people, and organized soccer tournaments. In his free time, he composed poetry and music, played the guitar, wrote and published prose on literary websites, played soccer, volleyball, and chess, and participated in weightlifting competitions among veterans; he also enjoyed solving Japanese crosswords and going fishing.
In the early 2000s, while serving in the military, Sergey began to study the Bible in depth. He was impressed by its internal harmony, its historical accuracy, and its fulfilled prophecies. He decided to leave the military two years before retirement. In May 2002, Sergey became a Christian.
The changes in his personality deeply impressed his wife, Olga, to whom Sergey has been married since 1983, and in 2003 she also became a Christian. Olga is fond of sewing and cooking. Together, the couple raised a son and a daughter who share their outlook on life. Sergey and Olga love spending time with their children and grandchildren—watching movies together, playing board games, and relaxing in nature.
Sergey's relatives are outraged by his unfair persecution and harsh sentence. They are worried about his future.