Biography
In 2018, the family of Adam Svarichevskiy was subjected to surveillance, search and interrogation because of their beliefs. The incident seriously affected the health of Adam's wife and 2 adult sons. His parents, being Jehovah's Witnesses, survived the Stalinist repressions. Now Adam was convicted and sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 3 months because of his religion.
Adam was born in September 1963 in the Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ukraine). He has an elder sister and a younger brother, another elder sister is no longer alive. The children grew up in a deeply religious family. Their parents were exiled to Stalin's camps for many years for their beliefs.
As a child, Adam learned to play the accordion, bayan, and cymbals. After graduating, he became a tractor driver. He worked as a cement mason and as a slinger, but after an injury in 1987, he was considered disabled and worked as a janitor.
Adam recalls: “When I had to decide between listening to Jehovah God and learning to fight, I chose to refuse military service because of my religious beliefs. I remember how I was pressured in college. The teacher of military lessons told me that I would be sentenced to three years in prison for refusing to serve in the army, the deputy director told me five years, and the director told me seven years. But I did not give in to fear, because I loved Jehovah God and people. I refused to serve in the army, so I was sentenced to three years in a general regime penal colony.”
Throughout his imprisonment, Adam received letters of support from Galina, his future wife. In 1986 they got married and moved from Ukraine to the city of Khabarovsk. Galina was also raised by believing parents who were convicted during the era of Stalin because of their beliefs. As a young woman, she examined evidence of the existence of God and became a believer. Galina is now retired. She enjoys needlework, photography, playing musical instruments, and growing flowers.
The couple raised two sons. Mark became a radio mechanic, and Vyacheslav mastered the professions of finisher and driver. Currently, both sons work in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. They like to listen to instrumental music, work with wood, ride bicycles, and repair them. They like the practicality of Bible principles.
Galina's chronic illnesses worsened as a result of the criminal prosecution. After the search, she experienced severe stress and spent a month in the hospital; she had to take medication for a long time. The relatives of the Svarichevskys are outraged that a peaceful person is being persecuted merely for his faith in Jehovah.