Name: Shchekoldina Lyudmila Ivanovna
Date of Birth: June 25, 1976
Current status: convicted person
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Time spent in prison: 136 day in a pre-trial detention, 778 day in prison
Sentence: punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 4 years 1 month with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the organization and participation in public associations, groups for a term of 3 years and with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year 8 months, with serving a sentence of imprisonment in a correctional colony of general regime
Currently held in: Correctional Colony No. 28 of the Volgograd Region
Address for correspondence: Shchekoldina Lyudmila Ivanovna, born 1976, Correctional Colony No. 28 of the Volgograd Region, ul. Promyshlennaya, 12, Leninsk, Volgograd Region, 404621

Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the «zonatelecom».

Note: discussing topics related to criminal prosecution is not allowed in letters; languages other than Russian will not pass.

Biography

On April 29, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, FSB officers with representatives of the local Cossacks broke into the homes of civilians in two villages of the Krasnodar Territory, conducted searches and interrogations. Lyudmila Shchekoldina from the village of Pavlovskaya was suspected by the security forces of being an "adherent of a banned organization." A criminal case was opened against her, and a recognizance not to leave was taken from the believer.

Lyudmila was born in June 1976 in the village of Aleksandrovka (Krasnodar Territory). My father is already dead, my mother is a pensioner. She has an older sister and brother. As a child, she learned to play the piano and was fond of weaving macrame.

After graduating from Oryol State University, Lyudmila received a degree in primary school teacher with the right to teach Russian language and literature in middle school. As a specialist in the service of social protection of the population, in her native village she worked with pensioners, disabled people, orphans. In 2007 she moved to the village of Pavlovskaya. There she worked as a plasterer, housekeeper, and now she is a janitor at a sports school. Employees respect Lyudmila, and the employer appreciates her conscientious attitude to work, which is confirmed by letters of thanks addressed to her.

As a child, Lyudmila thought about the meaning of life and the causes of evil and injustice in the world. She was especially worried about the question of what happens to a person after death. In the mid-90s, Lyudmila became acquainted with Bible teachings and received satisfying answers to her questions. As a result, Lyudmila embarked on the Christian path and considers it her duty to share with others the information that helped herself.

After the violent raids on April 29, 2020, Lyudmila's emotional and physical condition deteriorated significantly, chronic diseases worsened due to nervousness, and she had to go to doctors. Relatives help Lyudmila and worry about her. Most concerned is the elderly mother, who can no longer do without the help of her daughter.

Lyudmila's employees are shocked that a responsible and respectable woman who has never been convicted can suddenly be classified as a criminal. Colleagues encourage Lyudmila with assurances: "Hold on, everything will be fine, we will pray for you!"

Case History

In April 2020, the FSB opened a criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina from the village of Pavlovskaya. The accusation was based on the report of the agent of the special services Ilchenko that the believer allegedly tried to involve him in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation regarded his conversations with Shchekoldina on biblical topics. After a 9-hour search of the woman’s house and interrogation, they took a written undertaking not to leave the place. In May 2021, the case went to court. A year later, the court sentenced the believer to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony. The appellate court upheld the verdict in October 2022. In March 2023, the cassation court did not change this decision. In the colony, Lyudmila’s health deteriorated and she was scheduled for surgery. For six months, the believer endured severe pain, and only in August 2023 did the administration of the colony allow her to receive the necessary treatment.
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