Biography
In October 2022, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, a labor veteran with a group-three disability, learned that he had been accused of extremism because of his belief in Jehovah God.
Yuriy was born in January 1955 in the village of Teya, Tiraspol Region, Moldovan SSR. His parents and his older brother and sister are no longer alive. As a child, Yuriy loved sports, was in the second category in soccer, and was also involved in weightlifting and table tennis. He graduated from a mining vocational school and became an electrician.
In September 1977, Yuriy married Natalya, and soon the young family moved to the region of Yakutia in the Far North of Russia. Natalya worked as a salesperson. Yuriy worked in the nonferrous mining industry and later in a coal mine. For about 22 years, Yuriy worked with heavy trucks. Now he is retired, and due to an occupational disease, he is on disability.
Yuriy became the first in his family to learn about the Bible; this happened in 1994. He recalls: “I had questions like, What will happen to humanity? What will happen to our earth? If there is a God, then why does he allow so much suffering? Will it ever end? These questions have been fully answered. I told my wife what I learned, and she immediately showed interest in it.” The couple was impressed by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy and how wise and helpful the Bible is. A year later, the Kolotinskiys became Christians.
The couple raised two sons and a daughter and instilled Christian values in them as well. The family decided to move from the countryside of the Altai Territory to the city of Barnaul. The couple spend their free time with their grandchildren and enjoy mushroom picking and fishing. Yuriy is a photographer; he professionally shoots beautiful landscapes and makes paintings from his pictures. Natalya grows vegetables and flowers in her garden.
Relatives, acquaintances and neighbors of the Kolotinskiys were surprised to learn about the criminal prosecution of Yuriy. They do not understand how a peaceful and law-abiding person can be considered an extremist.