Name: Kovadnev Nikolay Yegorovich
Date of Birth: October 23, 1960
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1)
Current restrictions: obligation to appear
Sentence: imprisonment for a period of 6 years, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public organizations (associations) for a period of 4 years, the sentence in the form of imprisonment shall be considered conditional with a probation period of 4 years

Biography

On May 25, 2023, the homes of the believing spouses Nikolay and Marina Kovadnev were searched with the participation of riot police, after which Marina, who suffers from cancer, deteriorated sharply. She passed away 2 months later.

Nikolay was born in 1960 in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory) in a family of workers. He has a younger brother. In childhood and adolescence, Nikolay loved to fish and ride a motorcycle.

After graduating from the institute, in 1983, Nikolay moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. For some time he lived in Vladivostok. Nikolay worked as an accountant in various software maintenance firms. Now he is retired, he likes to take care of the cottage: grow vegetables and berries, make preparations for the winter.

At the age of 35, Nikolay became interested in the Bible. From it he learned a great deal about God. He was particularly impressed by the fact that most of the world's inhabitants can read this book in their native language. In 1995, the man embarked on the Christian path.

In 2012, Nikolay married Marina. By that time, they had known each other for several years. The spouses have no joint children. Marina shared her husband's views on life. She was fond of drawing and making crafts, she gave her works to friends.

Nikolay's relatives do not understand why he was prosecuted.

Case History

In May 2023, the homes of peaceful residents in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as in Khurba and Molodezhniy, were searched during the night on religious grounds. The investigation initiated a criminal case against 10 believers: Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Nikolay Kovadnev, Ivan Nikitin, Mikhail Dorofeev, Radion Shitov, Marina Voytko and Svetlana Zharkova. They were charged with involving others in the activity of a banned organization. In 2024, the prosecutor’s office returned the case to the investigator twice. In October of the same year, the case went to court. All the defendants were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which made it difficult for them to pay bills and manage their assets. In October 2025, the court gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Dorofeev, Kovadnev and Shitov and 2 years to the Bondarevs, the Sachnevs, Zharkova, Voytko and Nikitin. Among the convicted persons, five are over 60.
Back to top