Biography
FSB officers used violence against Mikhail Proshenkov in front of his minor son. "During the arrest, my glasses were broken and the investigator demanded the password for my phone," he said. "They used a stun gun six times, then they twisted my hands and threw me on the floor." In the fall of 2025, Mikhail was charged with extremism because of his faith.
Mikhail was born in April 1967 in Saratov. His mother is retired and lives in another city with her youngest son. Mikhail received a secondary technical education, worked at a factory, and later as a manager of a technical center. Before his arrest, as an individual entrepreneur, Proshenkov worked with insurance companies as an expert technician.
As a child, Mikhail practiced "SAMBO", a type of martial arts. He also loved to sing and play the guitar — which he still enjoys doing. He played volleyball for several years, but because of pain in his legs, he had to give it up. For a year before his arrest, he coached beginners in volleyball.
Since 1987, Mikhail has been married to Irina. His wife works as a boiler room operator and enjoys drawing. They have three children — a daughter and two sons; the youngest is still studying at a technical school. The family loves traveling and hiking outdoors.
Mikhail was interested in the Bible from a young age and had many questions on spiritual topics. Later in his life he decided to leave his wife and family. During this period, he lived with his mother. Having once attended a meeting for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses at her invitation, he thought about his life and realized that he needed to change and strengthen his marriage.
"Jehovah's Witnesses invited me once to a picnic," Mikhail recalls. "I was pleasantly surprised: ordinary people who sang with the guitar, played sports and talked about various things. The day flew by, I didn't even think about cigarettes, although I was a heavy smoker." Proshenkov became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1999. He said: "The Bible saved my family, I began to lead an honest lifestyle."
After Mikhail's arrest, his wife had to take on heavy responsibilities: appealing to the authorities regarding torture, communicating with lawyers, packing and delivering parcels to the pretrial detention center. Later, Mikhail was placed under house arrest. He lost his well-paid job, and the financial support of the family fell on the shoulders of Irina. According to Mikhail, his wife's health has suffered.
During the arrest the law enforcement officers injured Mikhail's shoulder and it hurt for a long time. Also, his arthritis got worse, he developed heart problems and a skin condition.