Biography
In October 2019 in Blagoveshchensk, a criminal case was initiated against Anton Olshevskiy because of his faith. Later, his father-in-law, Sergey Afanasiyev, became a defendant in the case. In July 2021, Anton's wife, Yekaterina, was also charged with extremism. In the winter of 2022, the court sentenced Anton and Sergey to imprisonment merely because of their religion.
Anton was born in 1987 in Chulman (Sakha, Yakutia). He is the second of five children. His parents took their responsibilities seriously and sought reliable guidance for raising their children. They were interested in what was written in the Bible and decided to study it in depth.
Anton was also impressed by the wisdom of the Bible. “I clearly saw the difference between people who lived by Bible principles and people who didn't,” he said. “I set out to find hard evidence that the Bible can be trusted. I was particularly convinced by its prophecies that were fulfilled and its scientific credibility.”
After school, Anton studied electrical engineering and industrial automation. He studied well and was awarded a merit scholarship, but after 1.5 years, he left the institute. In 2007 he applied for alternative civilian service (ACS) at the military registration and enlistment office. He served his civilian service at the Amur Regional Drama Theater, where he worked as a stage setter. The local newspaper wrote about the first alternative service worker in Blagoveshchensk.
In 2010 Anton married Yekaterina. They have a lot in common: both lead an active lifestyle, enjoy sports, and love camping and outdoor recreation. A year after finishing alternative civilian service, the couple moved to Ulan-Ude. There Anton became an electrician and made many friends. Later, the family moved to Chita, but due to health reasons, they could not live there. For some time they went to Pattaya, Thailand, where Yekaterina's relatives lived, and tried a new business — interior design project management. Six months later, they returned to Blagoveshchensk and opened their own business — an electronics pawnshop. Later, they lived in Irkutsk and Blagoveshchensk. They have a son.
The criminal prosecution of the family had a negative impact on their emotional and physical health. Relatives were in disbelief when they found out about Anton's criminal prosecution. Acquaintances and former colleagues do not understand how a peaceful and law-abiding person can be called an extremist.