On December 30, 2025, Georgiy Nikulin, 62, left penal colony No. 3 in the Republic of Mari El, having served his sentence in full. The believer was met by his friends. His wife, Yelena, could not share the joy of being released with him—she is still in a penal colony.

The Nikulins, as well as four of their fellow believers, were convicted for their faith in August 2022. Georgiy and Yelena were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and after a court of appeal, they were transferred to penal colonies in different regions. For a long time, they did not have any communication: visits were impossible, and the couple were able to obtain permission for correspondence only after a year and a half of separation.

In prison, Georgiy first worked in a sewing workshop, but due to vision problems, he was transferred to the assembly of electrical outlets. According to Georgiy, thanks to his faith, he endured difficult conditions of imprisonment, perhaps even easier than other prisoners. “I had high blood pressure. The upper one reached 230, which shocked the doctors,” the believer shared and added: “I constantly felt God’s support. Without his help, everything would have been completely different . . .”

Elena Nikulina is due to be released in August 2026. Three other defendants are already at large, and the sentence of Vladimir Atryakhin, the father of two young children, expires in March 2028.