Biography
"It was a shock for all of us," is how Alik Yeliseyev described the search in his house. Since February 2025, his family has been getting used to the new reality — life under the weight of an extremism charge.
Alik was born in Slavgorod, Altai Territory. He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother was a housewife, and their father worked as a builder.
As a child, he wanted to learn to play the guitar. "Grandma paid for the courses," Alik recalls, "and I was so enthusiastic about it that I could play from morning to evening." He also enjoyed running. And on winter evenings, Alik liked to go outside and clear the snow. "I really liked it because I could pause and look at the bright, beautiful winter sky," he says. "Since there wasn't much lighting in our neighbourhood, the stars looked incredibly bright."
Alik's parents always spoke well about God and read the Bible. Subsequently he was baptized in 2012 and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, third generation.
"Since I was 14, I dreamed of having my own small business, family, and house," Alik said. He gradually achieved his goals. On leaving school, he trained to be an electric welder and locksmith, graduating from a technical college with a high grade. Alik worked in his profession and acquired construction skills. After a while, he began to work for himself.
Yeliseyev met his wife Galina while they were students; she was studying to be a primary school teacher. They had much in common, including faith in God. In August 2010, the young people got married, and in 2016 they had a son.
Galina received a higher education and worked in retail. After the birth of her son, she left her job, and providing for the family fell entirely on Alik. The Yeliseyevs love to spend time together: traveling, fishing. "Although our son was small, we tried to take him everywhere with us," Alik recalls. "A family outdoors with a tent... This brings you together."
At 7 a. m. in the winter of 2025, the Yeliseyevs were woken by knocking on our windows, flashing police lights and a fire truck siren. "We just managed to open the door and I was immediately thrown to the floor," Alik recalls. After the search, he was taken away for interrogation. "When I returned, my wife was hugging our son, crying and saying: "Now he is supporting me." My son told her: 'Mom, don't worry, they can take away our devices and laptops, but they cannot take away our faith.'"
Despite the difficulties associated with criminal prosecution, the family has grown even closer. The Yeliseyevs maintain a positive outlook on what is happening and appreciate the time spent together.