Biography
Yuriy Byche, the father of two minor children, lost the opportunity to take care of his family when he ended up in a pre-trial detention center in March 2023 because of his religious views. In addition to worrying about her husband, his wife, Maria, has to cope with everyday hardships, as well as raising the children and providing for the family.
Yuriy was born at the end of 1985 in Transcarpathia, in the village of Hlybokyi Potik (Ukraine). He is the eldest of three sons. His mother and younger brother, who has a disability, still live in Ukraine. The father is no longer alive. As a child, Yuriy was fond of sports and he had his own horse.
After school, Yuriy began to work with his father. Later, the whole family temporarily moved to Vladivostok to work. The young man mastered the profession of a carpenter, and in recent years he worked in the field of sales.
As a child, Yuriy learned the Bible thanks to his grandparents. He enjoyed attending Christian meetings with them. But Yuriy began to study the Bible thoroughly in 2006, when the family was living in Vladivostok. Soon his brothers joined him, and eventually his parents. In August 2006, Yuriy made the decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Shortly thereafter, the family returned to their homeland. There, Yuriy met his future wife, Maria. The girl grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses. She loved Bible teachings as a child, and later the she chose the Christian way of life. Yuriy and Maria got married in 2008. They had two daughters (in 2009 and 2017). Recently, the family has been living in Vladivostok. They all love the sea. Maria says that walking along the coast calms her down.
Everyone who knows Yuriy is perplexed why such a kind and friendly person was accused of extremism and subjected to criminal prosecution. The couple's relatives live in Ukraine and cannot help them, but Yuriy and Maria are supported by their friends.