Biography
Yelena Kopatskaya was born in November 1982 in Birobidzhan. She was the first child in a large family — she has three younger sisters and a brother. Until the age of 9, Yelena lived with her mother and stepfather, then she was taken in by her aunt, with whom she lived until the age of 17. Her aunt worked as a postwoman, and the girl really liked to deliver mail with her.
After school, the girl entered a vocational college in Amurzet (about 200 km from Birobidzhan) and studied to be a costume and wig designer but did not work in her profession. By the end of her studies, Yelena got a job as a cleaner at the Children's Art Center, where she worked for 24 years. Later, she worked for a cleaning company.
When Yelena was 13, her aunt began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. After a while, Yelena also took to heart the teachings from the Bible. "I liked that fellow believers apply what is written in the Bible and how it affects their lives. Everyone tries to show love to each other," Yelena said. "I saw how applying the principles affected our family." Later it happened that Yelena's mother also began studying the Bible. In 2000, Yelena and her mother became Jehovah's Witnesses, following the example of her aunt.
In December 2002, Yelena married Aleksey. He worked as a welder, fireman, handyman, and in recent years in building maintenance. The couple have three children: two sons and a daughter.
Later the Kopatskys moved to Birobidzhan. The move helped the children — they had more opportunities to mix with their peers. Furthermore, it was easier to find work in the city. Their children have already grown up; all three are working.
In February 2024, the home of the Kopatskys was searched. In March, Yelena, her husband and oldest son were interrogated by the Investigative Committee. In October 2025, all of Yelena's bank accounts were blocked, which made it difficult for her to find a job.