"It Is Not as Frightening as It Might Seem." Crimean Maksim Zinchenko Completes Compulsory Labor Sentence

On June 8, 2026, Maksim Zinchenko, 34, was released a day early from a correctional center in Crimea for good behavior. For almost a year, Maksim served compulsory labor; prior to that, he spent 11 months under house arrest.

"Detention is not as frightening as it might seem at first," Maksim shared his feelings. "Sometimes I allowed myself to feel sad, but I understood that immersing myself too deeply in such a state was dangerous. Prayer helped me a lot... One could say I took advanced training courses in my Christian qualities."

Maksim worked as a mechanic at a poultry farm located near the correctional center, where convicts worked alongside local residents. "At 6:00 a.m. wake-up, morning routines, assembly, and by about 6:45 you are already on your way to work," Maksim described his daily routine at the correctional center. "A bus picks you up and takes you to the factory, and after the workday, around 6:20 p.m., you are again at the correctional center. In the evening, you can clean, cook your meals — there you provide everything for yourself, both food and all other essentials. There is even some free time. At 9:20 p.m., evening assembly and roll call, and from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., sleep."

Sometimes on weekends the believer, with permission from the administration, could leave the correctional center for a few hours to see his wife. "We would walk around the village, talk. My husband always listened to all my worries and comforted me," Karina said.

Maksim Zinchenko proved himself to be a diligent worker, so he was twice appointed shift leader to train new employees, not only convicts. Maksim's hard work was not to everyone's liking. According to him, some regularly tried to start conflicts and even provoke fights, but the believer never responded to aggression with aggression. Because of Maksim's reputation, both the administration and his colleagues supported him. As Maksim's wife recounted, one of the convicts once told him: "You are like the sun for us — always cheerful and you encourage others." "Take care of Maksim, we are here because of our own stupidity, but he is here for nothing... People like this give us a chance to see what it means to live an honest life," advised another convict, who was released before Zinchenko, to the facility staff.

"For anyone who faces [unjust criminal prosecution], it is important to understand that the problem is not within you. You need to be confident that we will overcome everything. God will never leave us without strength," Maksim concluded.

In similar criminal cases, 14 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been sentenced to compulsory labor, 6 of whom are still serving their sentences.