Biography
In October 2019 in the city of Blagoveshchensk, a criminal case was initiated against Anton Olshevsky because of his faith. Later, his father-in-law, Sergei Afanasiev, became a defendant in the case. In July 2021, Anton's wife, Ekaterina, was also accused of extremism. In the winter of 2022, the court sentenced Anton and Sergey to terms of actual imprisonment merely because of their religion.
Anton was born in 1987 in the village of 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. They decided to study this authoritative book 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 fulfilled prophecies and its scientific credibility.”
After school, Anton entered a university and studied electric drive and automation of industrial enterprises and technological complexes. He studied well and was given an increased scholarship, but after a year and a half, he decided to leave the university. In 2007 he asked the military registration and enlistment office for alternative civilian service (ACS). He spent his civilian service at the Amur Regional Drama Theater, where he worked as a stage setter. The local newspaper wrote about the first person who served as an "alternativist" in the city of 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 the city of Ulan-Ude. There Anton became an electrician and made many friends. Later, the family moved to the city of 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—visualization of interiors and support of design renovation. Six months later, they returned to the city of Blagoveshchensk and opened their own business—an electronics pawnshop. Later, they lived in the cities of 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 listed among extremists.