Biography
Igor Popov is a jack‑of‑all‑trades, a highly qualified professional with many years of work experience, and a devoted family man. In February 2026, law enforcement officers searched his home and charged him with extremism. During the investigative actions, both the believer and his wife sustained injuries. He was hospitalized.
Igor and his brother were born on June 23, 1965, in Kyzyl, Tuvan ASSR, where their father had been assigned to work after graduating from the Izhevsk Agricultural Institute. When the twins were born, the family already had a daughter.
The climate of Central Asia is harsh — long, freezing winters, short, hot summers, and extreme fluctuations of temperature from one day to the next — so Igor's parents decided to move to the Ulyanovsk Region. Igor lived in Sabakeyevo until the age of 18. He recalls: "My father was the chief engineer and later the chairman on a Lenin Collective Farm. My mother worked at an auto‑component factory, at a poultry farm, and as a communications dispatcher at the collective farm. Our parents set an example of honest and responsible work and instilled in us a love for different kinds of people. In our family, my brother, sister, and I were taught to always support one another."
The house was filled with technical literature. Igor's father bought magazine subscriptions for him, such as Modelist‑Konstruktor, Yunyy Tekhnik, and Radio — full of interesting ideas that the he implemented. As a teenager, Igor built three dune buggies — small, lightweight vehicles with high off‑road capability. He also enjoyed soldering and assembling electronic circuits.
After finishing school, Igor started working straight away, and later moved to Dimitrovgrad, where he trained as a television and radio repair technician and got a job at a TV repair shop. He later worked at various companies in the city — starting as an apprentice and gradually gaining different qualifications. "I've worked as a multi‑skilled machine operator, TV repairman, milling machine operator, lathe operator, welding equipment technician, electrician, and gas equipment maintenance mechanic," Igor recalls. "For three years I was a self‑employed entrepreneur, and most recently I worked as an on‑call electrician with the emergency dispatch service of a property management company. I received commendations and awards for conscientious work. I'm still on good terms with all my employers."
Igor has been married since September 1987. He met Zhanna when she was studying to become a process engineer in the knitwear industry at a polytechnic institute. "Zhanna was sociable and proactive. Despite having to study and raise a child, she graduated with honors. She worked as an instructor in sewing. And when our son entered first grade, our daughter was born," the believer said.
While on maternity leave, Zhanna became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses. She decided to study Bible teachings more deeply and shared everything she learned with her husband. At first, Igor did not attach much importance to it, but later he became interested. He was impressed by the reliability of Bible history and prophecy. The couple began studying the Scriptures together and applying the principles they found there in their lives. In 2002, Igor and Zhanna became Jehovah's Witnesses. Seven years later, another son was born to them. Igor said: "We raised our children and strengthened our family with the help of Bible counsel. Jehovah God became our Friend and Father."
The Popovs are a close‑knit family. They love to travel—at first they went camping with tents, and later began traveling together to other cities and countries.
With the start of Igor's criminal prosecution, many restrictions appeared: the believer lost his job, his bank accounts were frozen, and Zhanna's pension is not enough to live on. According to Igor, his health has also suffered. He is especially distressed that he can no longer help his mother, whose dementia is progressing, and his mother‑in‑law, who has difficulty walking. Both women are elderly. Previously, he drove them to doctors' appointments and delivered groceries from stores.
Zhanna is struggling both physically and emotionally: during the search, a law enforcement officer knocked her to the ground—she had to seek medical help to restore the mobility of her arm and leg. Popov's son was at home during the investigative actions—he was 17 at the time—and, like his father, he was handcuffed.
Popov says: "Everyone who knows me is bewildered that persecution for faith in God is possible in our society and cannot understand what I'm guilty of."