Kukavitsa Vladlena

Name: Kukavitsa Vladlena Nikolayevna
Date of Birth: February 23, 1990
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Current restrictions: recognizance agreement
Sentence: the punishment in the form of 4 years 6 months of imprisonment with restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year 6 months, the sentence in the form of imprisonment shall be considered conditional with a probation period of 5 years

Biography

Vladlena Kukavitsa was born in February 1990 in Birobidzhan. She has an elder sister. As a child, Vladlena studied piano at a music school, sang in a choir and loved to draw. Music is still her hobby to this day, along with learning Spanish and taking walks in nature.

After school, Vladlena graduated with honors from the Birobidzhan Medical College with a degree in nursing. Then she entered the Khabarovsk University of Economics and Law with a degree in management. In 2015 she got married.

Returning to Birobidzhan, Vladlena got a job in the statistics department of the ambulance station, where she worked for more than 3 years. Then, for a while, she worked as self-employed remotely. Due to criminal prosecution, Vladlena's bank card was blocked, and remote work became inaccessible to her. When she went to the Ambulance Station to get a reference for the court, she was rehired. Vladlena is also interested in healthy eating and writes articles on this topic.

Vladlena was touched by the sincere care and warmth she felt among believers, and in 2004 she decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The criminal prosecution became stressful for Vladlena. Her family is worried about what is happening.

Prosecution of several family members

Case History

Vladlena Kukavitsa is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Birobidzhan whose homes were searched in February 2024. Shortly before that, the FSB initiated a criminal case against the believer for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization because of conversations about the Bible with a local resident. A month later, FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin, who had previously initiated criminal cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan, initiated a second criminal case against her — for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In September 2024, the trial began and after 7 months Vladlena was given a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal overturned this decision due to violation of transparency and sent the case for a new trial to the Birobidzhan District Court, which began in June 2025. Meanwhile, Vladlena’s mother, Yelena Shestopalova, also came under investigation — a criminal case was initiated against her in October. In January 2026, a new verdict was handed down — a 4.5-year suspended sentence.
Timeline
Back to top