Biography
Viktor Kononov, a pensioner from Uyar, ended up in a pre-trial detention center in October 2025 because of his faith in God. This greatly changed his life: his health deteriorated, and due to the blocking of accounts, he lost the opportunity to receive a pension.
Viktor was born in February 1965 in the village of Karlyk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. There were five children in the family: 3 boys and 2 girls. Parents have long passed away. In his youth, Viktor loved football and hockey. After school, he received secondary specialized education.
In 1989, Viktor married Tatyana. She was the first in the family to become interested in spiritual matters. Later, Viktor began to study the Bible deeply. He was prompted to do so by thinking about the proof of the existence of the Creator. In 2002, he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. "Faith brought the family together," the believer recalls, "helped raise two daughters and taught them to value marriage ties. The Bible helped me understand the importance of being a compassionate and friendly person; taught me to be an honest and respectable citizen."
Viktor's working life was eventful: he served under a contract in the army, later worked as a mechanic of compressor equipment and ammonia refrigeration units, an installer of building and reinforced concrete structures, as well as a boiler room operator, a position he held until his arrest. Viktor's wife is a medical worker.
Viktor and his family love to spend time together: relax in nature, walk in the forest with dogs, pick berries and mushrooms, skate and ski. They moved to the Krasnoyarsk Territory to be closer to Tatyana's relatives.
His wife and children are worried about Viktor's persecution, which they consider unfair.