Biography
A search, custody, house arrest, and a ban on communicating with and living with his family—all of this has become a new chapter in the biography of Yevgeniy Bagin, a resident of a small settlement on the banks of the Yenisei River.
Yevgeniy was born in the city of Nurek (Tajik SSR). His father took part in the construction of two hydroelectric power plants in the region, and his mother worked in retail. Yevgeniy has a younger brother. His parents have passed away; during the last year of her life, his mother suffered from dementia, and Yevgeniy cared for her.
The family moved to Khakassia in 1981 due to political unrest in the Tajik Republic, which later escalated into an armed conflict. They settled in Sayanogorsk. At that time, work was underway on the Sayano‑Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant, and Yevgeniy's father continued his work on its construction.
As a teenager, Yevgeniy studied the bayan (button accordion) and was keen on football and volleyball. After school, he earned a qualification as an auto mechanic at an agricultural college, though he did not work in that field. At first, he worked as a loader, then as a firefighter. Later he was injured but remained on the service as a radio operator. He has been retired since 2018.
Yevgeniy married in 1997. About a year later, the young family moved to the settlement of Maina, where the mother of his wife, Zoya, lived. In 1998, the couple's first daughter was born, and six years later, another daughter. Both young women work in the beauty industry—as a hairdresser and a manicurist (nail technician). Zoya is a mathematics teacher with many years of experience and enjoys playing the piano. She loves working in the garden. Before the criminal prosecution began, Yevgeniy, his wife, and their daughters traveled together, went on picnics in nature and spent time with friends, and also went to the cinema and the swimming pool.
Zoya believed in God and saw how her prayers were answered. Therefore, when her mother began to study the Bible, she—and Yevgeniy with her—decided to join. As Yevgeniy recalls, the logic and simplicity of Bible teachings, as well as the pleasant fellowship with believers, influenced his outlook on life. According to the couple, applying the Bible's counsel helped them preserve their family. In 2003, Yevgeniy, Zoya, and her mother were baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses. The couple instilled Christian values in their daughters as well.
The criminal prosecution separated the family in September 2025. By court order, Yevgeniy was first placed in a pretrial detention center (SIZO), and then under house arrest in accommodation separate from his family. Shortly before the searches, Zoya had undergone major brain surgery and needed her husband's care. "I cannot support my wife during this difficult period in her life or look after her health," the believer shared. "Our family has never been apart for so long. By court order, my loved ones are not even allowed to communicate with me."
Yevgeniy is also concerned about his own health problems: he has lung and heart conditions and worries that the prosecution will prevent him from receiving the necessary medical care.