On July 28, 2026, Vladimir Maladyka's term of imprisonment ended. He is a resident of Sevastopol, convicted for his faith. His wife, Natalya, and his friends shared in the joy of his release — she traveled nearly 1,600 kilometers to meet him.
"I felt well in the penal colony, and I feel good now, too, after being released. From the very beginning, I was in good spirits," Vladimir described his state of mind.
The believer spent more than 4 years behind bars. Most of this time was served in penal colony No. 3 for the Tambov Region. "From the very first day, I went to the work zone and said, 'Give me a job that suits my health and my age,'" Vladimir recalls. He was assigned to prepare metal products for further processing. "I did my job and behaved exemplarily. No one in the penal colony ever had any complaints about me," he noted.
Describing the hardships of daily life, Vladimir said the water in the penal colony constantly smelled like a swamp; it was impossible to drink or use for hygiene purposes. The food also left much to be desired. He depended largely on parcels sent by his wife and friends. "Another difficulty," Natalya said, "was that my husband was not allowed to communicate with other inmates as he was convicted under an extremist article and therefore, considered prone to persuading others. And also the inmates were afraid to talk to him in the beginning. Over time, the situation improved significantly." Letters kept him going during that period. "And now, I have a bag completely stuffed with letters," Vladimir said on the day of his release. "I could barely leave with this bag. These letters are an expression of love."
The criminal prosecution of Vladimir Maladyka and two of his fellow believers began in September 2020. Two years later, the Nakhimovskiy District Court of Sevastopol sentenced them each to 6 years in a penal colony.
