Aleksandr Dolganov with his wife, Mariya, April 2026
On April 17, 2026, Aleksandr Dolganov was released from a penal colony, where he had been serving a sentence as part of persecution for his faith. His release took place in a small family circle: the 37‑year‑old man was met by his wife, Mariya, and his father.
Aleksandr is a native of Tolyatti. From an early age he was interested in radio electronics and later trained as an electrical fitter. These skills proved useful in the colony, where Aleksandr was assigned work as an electrician. In addition, he helped with various maintenance tasks to keep the prison facilities in order. The believer earned a good reputation: he was respected both by fellow inmates and by members of the administration.
Aleksandr was sentenced to three years in prison for taking part in worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. In reality, he spent a little over a year and a half in the colony; before that, he had been held for about five months in a pretrial detention center and nearly three months under house arrest. After being transferred to Penal Colony No. 10 in the settlement of Volzhsky (Samara Region), Aleksandr was for some time not allowed to receive letters.
Back in court, Aleksandr Dolganov clearly stated the position he maintained throughout the entire period of persecution: "Whatever verdict is announced, I will not renounce my faith. My faith is an inseparable part of my life; without it, life would lose its meaning."
