Biography
Viktor Kononov, a pensioner from Uyar, ended up in a pretrial detention center in October 2025 because of his faith in God. This greatly affected his life: his health deteriorated, and because his accounts have been blocked, he cannot receive his pension.
Viktor was born in February 1965 in the village of Karlyk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. There were five children in the family: three boys and two girls. His parents have long passed away. In his youth, Viktor loved football and hockey. After finishing school, he received vocational training.
In 1989, Viktor married Tatyana. She was the first in the family to become interested in spiritual matters. Later, Viktor also began a deep study of the Bible. Thinking about proof of the existence of a creator moved him to do so. In 2002, he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. "Faith brought our family together," the believer recalls, "helped us raise our two daughters and taught us 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 varied: he served under a contract in the army, later worked as a compressor equipment and ammonia refrigeration technician, an ironworker, 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: relaxing outdoors, walking the dogs in the forest, picking berries and mushrooms, ice skating and skiing. They moved to the Krasnoyarsk Territory to be closer to Tatyana's relatives.
His wife and children are worried about Viktor's prosecution, which they consider unfair.