Biography
"The search, interrogations, job loss and uncertainty have put enormous pressure on me and my family," said Andrey Yavniy, a native of Vladivostok who was accused of extremism for his faith.
Andrey was born in Vladivostok in a family of workers: his mother worked in a railway depot; his father was a welder. Andrey has an elder sister. As a child, he was fond of weightlifting and stamp collecting.
After graduating from school, the young man received the specialty of a technician for the installation and operation of power lines, but he could not work at height. In 1986-1989, he served in the army on a submarine, after which Andrey decided to graduate from a nautical school, studying to be an engine sailor. However, he worked as a driver for most of his working life.
From his youth, Andrey was worried about the inevitability of death: watching funeral processions, he thought about why people perceive death as something habitual. The loss of his parents became a difficult ordeal for him—his mother passed away when the man was 27, and later his father died. "When I found out that death is not forever, I was just jubilant," he recalls. In 1992, Andrey was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness.
In October 2017, he married Irina. She is a lawyer by education, loves creativity—she makes soap with her own hands. The spouses are united by a love of the sea and outdoor recreation, which helps them recover.
After the search in September 2025, the health of Andrey and the couple deteriorated—emotional exhaustion affected. The restrictions imposed by the court caused difficulties with work: without a phone and the Internet, Andrey cannot accept applications and post ads. Relatives provide support to the family.