Biography
In the winter of 2023, Tsagan Khalgaeva from Kalmykia faced criminal prosecution for her faith, which caused her to subsequently lose her job.
Tsagan was born in March 1978 in the Kalmyk city of Lagan. She has three brothers and a younger sister. The father is no longer alive, the mother is a pensioner. As a child, Tsagan liked active games, she also loved to read and knit.
After school, the girl was educated in the clothing industry, having mastered the profession of a cutter and tailor of outerwear. For some time, she worked in her specialty and later in cleaning. Tsagan still loves to sew and repair clothes.
As a child, Tsagan asked questions about the meaning of life, the causes of evil and injustice. She recalls: "The death of relatives brought me suffering, and I did not understand why God could not save them, because I asked him about it in prayer." In search of answers to her questions, the girl was interested in various religions. When she came to Elista, she began to study the Bible. Tsagan was surprised to learn that this ancient book is consistent with science, medicine and history and contains practical advice for every day. In 2004, she decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
In February 2023, the homes of Tsagan and several other believers in Elista were searched. In December of the same year, she was charged with committing a crime under an extremist article. Tsagan said: "Relatives, of course, worry about me, but I try to calm them down."