Oleg is the commercial director of a travel company. He is not a member of any political parties or movements. He volunteers, helping an organization that works with homeless animals. He got married two weeks before his arrest, on May 23, 2012.
Arkhipenkov did not take part in the rally or the march—in fact, on May 6 he was not even at Bolotnaya Square. He was detained on May 6 near Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station, arrested a month later, and charged with participating in mass riots. Arkhipenkov’s lawyer was unable to see him until June 27. At their very first meeting, the lawyer said, it emerged that before Arkhipenkov was transferred to Butyrka prison, he had been placed in a psychiatric hospital.
After two months in pretrial detention, Oleg was released under public pressure on his own recognizance. The charges against him have still not been dropped, and he remains under investigation. He is awaiting trial. Actress and musician Oksana Mysina speaks about Oleg Arkhipenkov:
