Biography
In July 2024, armed law enforcement officers broke into the house of Andrey Mikholap and his wife Oksana with a search. The man was knocked down, his arm was twisted behind his back and his knee was pinned to the floor, although he did not resist. This is how the couple learned that a criminal case had been opened against them for their faith. After the search, both were placed in a pre-trial detention center.
Andrey was born in November 1968 in the village of Kraskino, Primorye Territory. Until the age of 12, he lived in the village of Holgaso (Khabarovsk Territory). He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother worked most of her life in trade, and his father was a driver. He is no longer alive.
As a child, Andrey loved to read books and play football. He dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon, so after school he entered the Tyumen Medical Institute. However, after the 2nd year, he was drafted into the army, he left his studies and served at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
After the army, Andrey worked as a truck driver—he transported dangerous goods along the northern highways in the Tyumen region, and later delivered dairy products to stores.
In the city of Beloyarsky, Tyumen region, Andrey met Oksana, a teacher by education. They got married in 1993 and have maintained a close and warm relationship in marriage for more than 30 years. Together, the couple love to travel and spend time with friends, who note that Andrey is an expert in cooking fish and barbecue.
In 1997, Andrey and Oksana began to study the Bible, and after 2 years, having received answers to their questions, they decided to take the Christian path.
Due to the imprisonment of the Mikholap spouses in a pre-trial detention center, Oksana's parents were left without the care and support of relatives. They suffer from serious chronic diseases, live in the village, and find it difficult for them to get to shops and clinics.
Relatives are shocked that Andrey, whom everyone knows as a gentle and conflict-free person, was accused of extremism. They consider the persecution of spouses unfair.