When she was released, Lyudmila met with her sister, Larisa, and her brother, Vladimir. April 15, 2026.

Served Sentences

Lyudmila Shchekoldina, Jehovah’s Witness from Kuban, Released from Penal Colony

Krasnodar Territory,   Volgograd Region

Lyudmila Shchekoldina, a 49-year-old prisoner of conscience from Pavlovskaya, spent 3 years and 11 months behind bars. On April 15, 2026, she was released from penal colony No. 28 in the Volgograd Region; on her release she was met by her siblings, nephew and friends.

Lyudmila had to defend her right to read the Bible not only in court but also while in the penal colony. For some time, she was forbidden to use her personal copy of the Holy Scriptures. A Bible she had from the prison library was also confiscated, because it lacked an official stamp from the church. For the same reason, a book containing parts of the Bible, obtained from a local parish, was taken from her. However, shortly before her release her persistence was rewarded and she was finally given a Bible.

At the time of her arrest, Lyudmila suffered from serious health problems, including with her internal organs, arthritis, and severe spinal pain. Her conviction disrupted a scheduled surgery: she was sentenced to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony and taken into custody immediately. It took more than a year before she finally received the medical care she needed. Until then, despite her condition, she was required to work in the sewing workshop and perform other duties.

Her treatment took place under guard: two separate hospital rooms were allocated for Lyudmila and her five escorts. Shchekoldina spoke positively about the hospital staff, especially the head physician, who postponed her vacation to perform the surgery. The recovery period was marked by further emotional trauma: her brother lost his wife, and Lyudmila's nephew, Aleksandr Davydenko, was placed in pretrial detention because of his faith.

"I felt that people around the world were praying for me. I had the strength to keep going, I didn't lose heart, and I maintained my joy," Lyudmila said, explaining what helped her endure.

More than 240 women in Russia have faced repression for being Jehovah's Witnesses. As of today, 15 of them remain in pretrial detention centers, penal colonies, or correctional facilities across the country.

The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya

Case History
In April 2020, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina from Pavlovskaya. The charges were based on a report filed by Ilchenko, an FSB agent, who reported that the believer had allegedly attempted to involve him in the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interpreted his conversations with Shchekoldina on Bible topics. Following a 9-hour search of her home and an interrogation, Shchekoldina was placed under a recognizance agreement. In May 2021, the case was submitted to court. A year later, the court sentenced the believer to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony. The verdict was upheld by the court of appeal in October 2022. At the time of her arrest, Lyudmila was suffering from serious medical conditions and required surgery, which was only carried out in August 2023. Lyudmila was released in April 2026.
Timeline

Persons in case

Shchekoldina
Lyudmila

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnodar Territory
Locality:
Pavlovskaya
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, she "committed deliberate actions aimed at involving others... in the activity of an extremist organization... by describing the attractiveness of serving Jehovah."
Court case number:
12007030001000049
Initiated:
April 23, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-25/2022 (1-103/2021)
Court:
Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Olga Marchenko
Case History
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