A former political prisoner in exile is asking for urgent support to complete his studies and secure stable employment.
My name is Nikita Litvinenko. I am 26 years old. In 2020, I was detained for participating in the protests, expelled from my final year at the University of Economics, and later imprisoned. At first, I was sentenced to four years. Then, while in the penal colony, my sentence was extended under Article 411. I spent eight consecutive months in solitary confinement in a punishment cell and lost 30 kilograms. In total, I spent four and a half years behind bars.
I was released in March 2025, but the pressure did not end. From my very first day of freedom, security officers came to my home in the middle of the night as if it were their own, and one operative repeatedly told me, “We’ll extend your sentence under Article 411 again.”
I did not wait for three alleged violations. In April, I made a run for it and left for Lithuania. I now have a residence permit and the legal right to work. Formally, I am safe, but in reality I have had to rebuild everything from scratch: housing, documents, work, education, and simply learning how to live again after prison.
Currently, I am studying in person to become a therapeutic and sports massage therapist. Classes take place five days a week, and I spend the rest of my time working. However, I cannot work full-time because my classes are in the morning – the same hours when most full-time jobs require you to be present. This situation will continue until autumn. I am doing everything I can to cover my tuition myself through work, scholarships, educational programs, and other opportunities.
In prison, and especially during those months in solitary confinement, I held on to one thought: someday I would get out and start over.
I am grateful to be free. I want to build my own future, but to move forward I need to finish my studies, gain a profession, and find stable work.
I urgently need your support to make it through until I complete my training. If I cannot finish the course, I will lose my chance for a proper start in this new country. Without a profession and stable employment, I will once again be left in limbo.
Please help me bridge this financial gap until September by covering my rent, food, transportation, and basic living expenses while I complete my education.
Fundraising goal
€2200
€1200 – rent
€500 – food
€500 – phone, transportation, and basic living expenses