Biography
"For a couple of days after the search, every knock at the door made me panic. I couldn't stay home alone, and I had to take sedatives to fall asleep," Svetlana Arefeva recalls the events of spring 2026. At that time, a criminal case was initiated against her for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.
Svetlana was born in 2004 in Darasun, about 100 kilometers from Chita. Her mother, a preschool educator, worked for many years as a kindergarten teacher. Until his retirement, her father served as a guard at a penal colony for the Federal Penitentiary Service; he now works at a fire station. Svetlana has an older sister, Anastasiya, who, together with her husband Vitaliy, has also faced criminal prosecution for her religious beliefs.
From an early age, Svetlana was an energetic and outgoing child. She particularly enjoyed playing ball games. "I remember that when I was little, if young people gathered to play volleyball, I was always right there," she says.
After finishing school, Svetlana moved to Chita, where she trained as a hairdresser and now works in her profession. In her free time, she continues to prefer active leisure: outdoor games and travel. "A change of scenery and new experiences bring me a lot of joy," Svetlana says.
Svetlana's mother was the first in the Arefev family to begin studying the Bible, when Svetlana was still very young. Both she and her older sister Anastasiya have been familiar with Bible teachings since childhood. Later, both made a conscious personal decision to pursue a Christian way of life.
Svetlana's father does not share the religious beliefs of his wife and daughters, but he respects their choice. News of the searches and the criminal prosecution of both daughters and his son‑in‑law deeply shook him.