Biography
Shortly before Sergey Tolokonnikov's release from the penal colony where he was serving a sentence for his faith, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against his wife, Mariya Pankova. The reason was her practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Mariya was born in May 1974 in Moscow. She and her older sister grew up in an ordinary Soviet family, their parents were atheists. Her father died in 2009. As a child, Mariya liked swimming and music — she taught herself to play the guitar.
After finishing school, Mariya qualified as an accountant and worked in this field for a long time. Later she worked as a cleaner. She is also a certified instructor in Nordic walking.
In 1995, Mariya met Sergey. At the time she was raising her son from her first marriage alone. In 2003, Mariya began studying the Bible because she wanted to learn more about Christian teachings. Later, Sergey joined her. The Bible prompted them to change their lifestyle: they registered their marriage; Mariya was able to quit smoking, although for 16 years she could not overcome this bad habit. She also made the difficult decision to leave a highly paid position, where she was required to act dishonestly. In 2005, the couple became Jehovah's Witnesses. They like traveling together. Mariya loves animals.
In October 2021, the family's life changed suddenly. Their home was searched, after which Sergey was taken into custody. Later he was sentenced to 5 years and 2 months imprisonment. All the hardships associated with Sergey's imprisonment fell on the shoulders of Mariya. In April 2025, the couple's apartment was searched again, and now she too was facing criminal prosecution. These events caused additional stress for the believer. Her elderly mother, who lives with Mariya, is especially worried about her daughter.