Biography
Sergey Petrenko, like other Jehovah's Witnesses in the Altai Territory, felt the hardship of criminal prosecution in January 2022, when a wave of searches of the homes of peaceful believers swept through the city of Gorno-Altaisk. Sergey's home was one of those searched. In July 2022, a criminal case was initiated against him merely because of his religion and peaceful conversations about the Bible with friends. As soon as the case went to court in December 2022, Sergey was asked to resign from the state institution.
Sergey was born in April 1979 in the city of Ulan-Ude, Buryatia. At the age of six, he moved to the city of Bratsk, Irkutsk Region, with his parents and older sister. During his teenage years he was fond of chess and soccer and loved to fish.
In 1994 Sergey went to a vocational school and became a gas and electric welder. After graduation he worked at an automobile repair plant. Before the trial for his faith started, Sergey worked as a laborer. He is also a poultry farmer.
One day at school, Sergey's older sister heard a speech on a Bible topic. What she learned impressed her. After a while, the whole family began to study the Bible. Sergey was touched by the Bible's hope of the resurrection and God's promise to turn the earth into a paradise. In 1996, five years after his sister and mother, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
At the age of 18, Sergey had to make a decision about military service. Since there was no law on alternative civilian service, for eight years this young man was called every six months to the military registration and enlistment office.
In 2012 Sergey moved to the city of Gorno-Altaisk, where he met his future wife, Ulyana. In September 2013, they got married. Ulyana leads an active lifestyle; she goes to the mountains with her dog, loves swimming, and enjoys making confectionary. She learned about God from her family and was touched by the Bible's hope that in the future, everyone will live in peace and security. In 2009 she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The search of their home negatively affected the health of the Petrenko family. Relatives and friends do not understand why this happened, and they worry about Sergey and his family.