Volgograd activist Stepan Golich was born in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia Region. He was involved in local urban improvement issues. In 2020, he joined other activists in opposing the felling of trees and improper pruning. In 2021, he succeeded in getting the grass cut in one of the city’s neighbourhoods.
In October 2026, it became known that Golich was being held in custody on charges of disseminating 'fake news' about the war. His case was transferred to the Dzerzhinsky District Court of Volgograd. The criminal prosecution was prompted by posts Golich had published on VK and Zen. Their content is unknown. According to his lawyer, 'he relayed the views of international organisations', but 'did not rule out the official position of the [Russian] authorities.'
