Biography
Insults, harsh treatment and threats to send their underage daughter to an orphanage were what the Chernyshev family from Moscow had to face when the security forces bro into the house of believers in the early November morning. As a result, the court sentenced the head of the family to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God.
Yuriy Chernyshev (pronounced as "Chernyshov") is a native of Moscow. He was born in 1963. As a child, he was engaged in sports swimming. After school, he graduated from the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, and later worked as a civil engineer.
Yuriy's mother, who is no longer alive, was a believer and from childhood instilled in her son a love for God and the Bible. The study of the Holy Scriptures helped Yuriy to be convinced of God's love, compassion and care for people and for him personally. He was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of people who try to live according to the biblical commandments, and this prompted Yuriy to do the same.
In 1989, Yuriy met his future wife Yekaterina. In 1996, the young people got married, and soon they embarked on the Christian path together. They are raising a daughter who is in medical college. Yekaterina runs a household, she has a hobby—decoupage. Before the persecution, the Chernyshevs loved to spend time with the whole family, visiting various attractions, parks and exhibitions, traveling and learning the history of other countries.
In 2014, the head of the family was diagnosed with serious problems with the spine, which worsened after the search. After Yuriy was placed under house arrest, he and his wife had to live separately for six months, as Yekaterina was a witness in a criminal case against her husband.
In his last plea at the trial, Yuriy Chernyshev stated: "On November 24, 2020, my life and the life of my family changed. The investigator accused me of something I had never done. I . . . did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and the security of the state, did not incite religious discord, did not encourage the rupture of kinship and family relations."