Darya Trepova’s Husband Is Desperately Trying To Get Her Out Of Russian Prison

In January, Darya Trepova was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the attack that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky — the harshest sentence a woman has received in modern Russia. Holod’s Marina Kiryunina spoke with her husband Dmitry Rylov, who maintains her absolute innocence, and is doing all he can to try to get his wife out of the harsh Russian prison. He calls her by the name “Dasha.”

Dasha and I have known each other for a long time, about ten years, but we started to get closer about six or seven years ago. We often crossed paths because we were part of the same big friend group. At first, we were just friends; I had a girlfriend, and Dasha had a boyfriend. We loved to go out and spend time together.

On February 24, 2022, Dasha and I were freaked out by the news, accidentally contacted each other on social media and went to an anti-war rally at Gostiny Dvor, the city’s oldest department store, in St. Petersburg. She had a large poster with her that said, “No to the occupation of Ukraine,” with which we were detained. We were held under administrative arrest: I was given nine days, and for some reason Dasha got ten. Our cells were not too far apart in the detention center, and we passed notes to each other through a man who delivered food for a couple of cigarettes and sometimes for nothing at all. This brought us much closer together.

After leaving the detention center, we went to visit a mutual friend, where we discussed marriage and how it could potentially help with emigration. For some reason, the idea stuck in my head. A few days later, I suggested that Dasha and I get married so that it would be easier for us to leave if something happened. She was very surprised, but also very happy, and immediately agreed. That’s how our romantic relationship began.

We got married on Apr. 20, 2022: We had a small wedding at Peterhof palace, and invited almost no one. We started living together, went on vacation together, and began to develop real feelings for each other. But after a few months, we had a fight, separated and stopped communicating for a while.

This coincided with the announcement of the draft. I was afraid that the borders would close and decided to leave the country. I wrote to Dasha about it, and she agreed that I needed to leave. The last time I saw her in person was before my departure from Russia in the fall of 2022. I never returned to the country again, and Dasha and I had only been together for a few months.

In December, we wrote to each other again, recognized all our mistakes and understood that we loved each other and truly wanted to be together. Dasha really wanted to come to be with me, but she had to stay in Russia. She was launching her own marketplace for independent clothing and accessory designers, and all she had left to do was register as an individual entrepreneur. When she had finished, I was going to buy her tickets so that we could finally meet.

The days before the arrest

April 2 and 3 2023 were the hardest days of my life. When the explosion went off in the café in St. Petersburg, killing pro-war Z-blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, I was at work and didn’t read the news. Suddenly, Dasha wrote me and asked whether there was somewhere she could go or hide with someone. She was scared and did not explain anything.

They found Dasha very quickly.

I immediately started calling friends and acquaintances. Dima Kasintsev, who is now in prison, picked up the phone. He was eventually charged with harboring a fugitive. I only read the news and understood what was happening when Dasha was already in a taxi and on her way to Dima’s.

I stayed in touch with Dasha and Dima the rest of the day and night. We tried to think of something we could do, but we couldn’t find any options. In the end, they found Dasha very quickly. In the morning, security forces went door-to-door in Dima’s building and detained her. They most likely found her using her mobile signal and the address she used to reserve the taxi. Dasha was in shock and didn’t even turn off her phone.

It was one huge nightmare, and I can’t put my feelings into words: wild fear mixed with the need to do something and the understanding that nothing could be done. The last thing Dasha and I wrote to each other before her arrest were the messages “I love you.”

Terrorism charges

At first, the investigative committee did not bring terrorism charges; the case was opened under the article on “murder.” I understood that the situation was serious, but a term as draconian as 27 years was unimaginable. I still cannot comprehend how long her term is and how outrageous it is to assign such a punishment without significant evidence that she knew about the explosives in the statuette. She wrote me that she understood that her term would remain the same until the regime in Russia radically changes. I try not to think about this number, but I wonder if Dasha will be released when these changes come. And they will inevitably happen.

I really hope for an exchange, but the chances are slim. I want to believe that it will happen, but it certainly won’t happen anytime soon, at least not until the war is over. The problem is that Dasha is not recognized as a political prisoner, and it is unlikely that she will be included on any exchange lists. But I continue to hope that the people who framed Dasha have some shreds of conscience left and that they will try to help her and give additional testimony.

The very thought of not supporting her is impossible for me.

I am named in the case as Dasha’s husband, not as a suspect. But the security forces visited my parents, my work, and questioned my classmates and teachers. At the same time, no one tried to reach me personally – they didn’t even write to my email, which is publicly available. I am almost 100% sure that if I return to Russia, I will at least be detained and sent for questioning. It would therefore be impossible for me to enter the country now, because if I am arrested, I will not be able to do anything for Dasha from behind bars.

I had no choice at all, to wait or not to wait. I realized that I had found my other half in Dasha and that she felt the same way about me.

I love her as I have never loved anyone else. The very thought of not supporting her is impossible for me. Of course, Dasha said, “If you file for divorce, I won’t be against it.” But in my reply letter I immediately told her I’d never do it.

When Dasha was still in the pretrial detention center, I suggested that we get married in a religious service and she agreed, but we can’t do it yet. Dasha is a very religious person, and for her this choice is for life; I am also ready to be with my beloved always.

Smooth correspondence

It turns out that corresponding with Russian prisoners from abroad is not so difficult. There were problems when Dasha was in Moscow’s Lefortovo pretrial detention center, because there are no services like the online “Federal Penitentiary Service Letter” (FSIN) and only a paper mail service is available. We had to ask friends to send and receive our letters, and one could take about a month. When Dasha was in the Arsenalka pretrial detention center in St. Petersburg, where she was transferred in January 2024 after her sentencing, we communicated via FSIN Letter and by prison standards, this was super-fast correspondence. I would tell her about my day, share my experiences, and she could receive the letter on the same day.

We have a support group of about 10 people for Dasha, and the volunteers of the Vegan-Peredachki project have also been helping me send her food, books and postcards from the very beginning. Dasha is a vegan, so they collect goods taking her diet into consideration. I was very grateful and surprised by how much they write to her. In the Arsenalka pretrial detention center, she was showered with stacks of letters every day. She would receive 20-30 of them and didn’t even have time to answer them all. This is very important for us: Any prisoner is happy to receive letters, which make it easier to survive that hell, because prisons and colonies are one continuous terrible routine. But when you receive any kind word from the outside, it becomes the event of the day.

The last time Dasha wrote me was from transit detention centers. It was hard to get anything out of her because she hated complaining. But she managed to tell me that the conditions in the Yaroslavl and Ryazan detention centers were disgusting. Especially in Ryazan, where there were holes in the ceiling and rats. In Arsenalka, they had treated her normally – at the very least, she didn’t talk about anything bad. There were problems with a ban on parcels, because the administration was afraid that they would try to poison Dasha – the case was very high-profile. But we found a way to give her the things and food she needed.

Now, there is a huge problem with correspondence: We have not had any contact for almost two months – not since June 2024, when Dasha was sent to the corrective colony IK-2 in Mordovia, about 480 kilometers southeast of Moscow. Since that time, I have not received a single message from her, and I know nothing about the conditions of her detention. In mid-August, she was taken to the hospital. I hope it was just an examination after the transfer, and not something serious.

I am very afraid of the colony Dasha has been taken to. Those who were there describe it as a nightmare – in IK-2, women work for many hours in terrible conditions. Human rights activists from the Zhenskiy Srok project, which investigates the living conditions of female Russian prisoners, recently filed a lawsuit against the administration of the Mordovian colony because a lawyer was not allowed to see a prisoner who reported torture. It is horrifying that we do not know what exactly is happening. At least one letter from her would be a great joy; I can understand how Dasha feels by her tone.

I actively maintain a Twitter account where I talk about how Dasha’s case is progressing and how she can be helped. Under one of my last posts, which was about violence in Mordovia’s IK-2, there were a lot of hateful replies in the style of “She’s a terrorist,” “Trepova should be in prison.” I have to let it all go. I understand that most of the commentators are bots, their accounts were created very recently. There are also quite sincere threats and malicious replies, but I take it in calmly – they are written by narrow-minded people. They do not pose any real danger; for example, they threaten to send 20 kilograms of salt or cola to exhaust the package limit, but they do not even know that in principle, there is no such limit in women’s colonies.

I no longer look at the content of the comments, but rather at how well the post has spread. Thanks to the publicity, prisoners receive more help, and packages and letters are sent. In my personal messages, I mostly receive encouraging and supportive words. If I see thoughtful people, then I will start a conversation and explain the situation so that the person understands and accepts my position.

Outside support

I don’t have the feeling that no one feels sorry for Dasha. Many people support her and understand that a huge injustice has occurred.

A variety of people from opposition circles have written me and helped me. But the case is very complicated, as so far there is no official evidence that Dasha did not know about the explosives. Therefore, she is not receiving help from foundations and organizations. To me it is obvious that Roman Popkov, a Ukrainian journalist who is associated with the unidentified Ukrainian handler called “Gestalt”, who sent Dasha the statuette by post in early 2023, committed this crime.

My dream, first and foremost, is for Dasha to be free.

Fortunately, our circle of friends has not turned its back on us either. There is only one former friend who thinks Dasha is a terrorist, though he did not tell me this personally. But I know he stopped communicating with me because of it. The rest of my friends knew Dasha personally and understand what a wonderful person she is. Each of them has a story about how she helped her friends and loved ones.

Dasha studied at a medical university and knows how to assist in emergency situations. If someone was feeling bad, she would never pass them by, she could go to see a friend at three in the morning if he needed support. Dasha is an unbelievably kind person and, unfortunately, very trusting.

My dream, first and foremost, is for Dasha to be free. The second is to clear her name, so that she is no longer considered a terrorist. I know my wife: She is a wonderful, peace-loving person and has never wished evil on anyone. The third dream is to get to Russia, so that I can at least have a visit with her.

I won’t leave my only love in trouble

At first, I couldn’t exist at all. In the first months after Dasha’s arrest, I lost 10 kilograms and couldn’t do anything. I was only able to connect with someone and give fragmented interviews on autopilot. I have very little memory of April 3, 2023, and of a couple of weeks after that: My memory is blocking out this whole nightmare. But over time I have learned to live with it.

I constantly think about Dasha. When I wake up, the first thing I do is run to check the news and mail for information. What if I missed something while I was sleeping? And I need to continue helping Dasha, talk about her, collect packages. It is very difficult to live with. Over time, I have gotten used to this state, but the constant anxiety and thoughts about my wife aren’t going anywhere. Even now I am stuck on April 3 and it is unbelievably hard and difficult for me: constantly worrying about a person and thinking about what else you can do for her, how to help. This will only end when Dasha is free.

I am not the kind of person who would leave his true love in trouble. Dasha once wrote to me that this is all one big ordeal that we need to get through together. I agree with her.

I am not asking for pity or understanding.

I know that my wife will endure everything, because she loves life very much. And I am sure that we will see each other much sooner than everyone thinks. We had a short but very sincere romance. I found my person – I have never met a girl for whom I am so suited. Dasha understands things about me that I do not even understand. I love her very, very much and will always fight for her, wait for her and support her.

I was inspired by the example of Almaz Gatin, the husband of Liliya Chanysheva, the former coordinator of Alexei Navalny’s headquarters in the city of Ufa. He traveled to different cities to meet his wife in penal colonies. He is an unbelievably strong person, and I admire him. I am very glad that Liliya was included in the exchange lists, and that she is now free and with her husband.

I am not asking for pity or understanding. But I really do not want anyone in the world to experience what my wife is going through and what I am going through. The most important thing is that Dasha leaves the colony alive, that she is freed. And we will deal with all the other problems later.

*NOTE ABOUT OUR SOURCE PARTNER: In today’s Russia, bonafide journalism is a crime. Independent outlets are labeled “foreign agents,” and journalists face long prison sentences. Despite bans and repression, Holod Media continues to report from the darkest corners of the country, striving to preserve independent journalism. SUPPORT HOLOD MEDIA