The Seventh-day Adventist Church has faced in the past years multiple persecutions in some areas of Russia, including a violent attack on an Adventist pastor’s son in Nizhnekamsk, a killing of a night guard at an Adventist Church in Cheboksary, and an arson attack which destroyed the only Seventh-day Adventist Church in Saransk. In 2003 on September 25 a destructive arson fire destroyed the Novgorod Adventist Church.

Now, three and a half years later, Zazu Nikolaishvili, a 39 year old man was set on trial for a series of robberies and arsons. He was convicted of burning down the Adventist church building in Novgorod. The Sova Information-Analytical Center reports that Zazu Nikolaishvili was sentenced to two years in prison for burning down the wooden Adventist church in September 2003. He was charged with "intentional destruction of property" rather than a hate crime; it was not clear from the report if any motive for the attack was ever established.

More than 5,000 people are worshipping weekly in 85 Adventist congregations in the northwest region of Russia.