Pastor Rustam's Biography
- Born on February 4, 1972, in Kyiv, Ukraine;
- Repented in 1997 at the Pentecostal Church on Karyerna Street, 44;
- 2004 to 2020 — ordained evangelist of the Churches of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Union;
- Since 2006 — Head of “Mahanaim” Social Ministry Department;
- Since January 2010 — Senior Pastor of the Tabernacle Church;
- 2010 - 2020 — President of the Christian Rehabilitation Centers Association;
- 2017, 2020 — Chairman of the Chaplaincy Council at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense;
- Since 202 — Senior Bishop of the "Tabernacle Council of Churches and Religious Organisations".
- Repented in 1997 at the Pentecostal Church on Karyerna Street, 44;
- 2004 to 2020 — ordained evangelist of the Churches of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Union;
- Since 2006 — Head of “Mahanaim” Social Ministry Department;
- Since January 2010 — Senior Pastor of the Tabernacle Church;
- 2010 - 2020 — President of the Christian Rehabilitation Centers Association;
- 2017, 2020 — Chairman of the Chaplaincy Council at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense;
- Since 202 — Senior Bishop of the "Tabernacle Council of Churches and Religious Organisations".
Life Testimony of Rustam Fatullaiev
The testimony of Rustam Fatullaiev is featured across various Christian platforms. He lost his father at an early age and spent much of his time on the streets, where he encountered its harsh realities. Humiliation from older and stronger boys shaped his personal motto: be strong and never back down. Filled with anger toward the world, Rustam excelled in sports and, while still young, gained respect in the criminal underworld.
As a child, he longed for truth and justice, but eventually began to despise those very things. Living by the “law of strength” led him into drug addiction. At age of 25, standing on the edge of death, he encountered God, who gave him salvation and a new life.
“I grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan. After my father died when I was 13, I realized I had to learn to stand up for myself. I remember once in a street fight, some older guys tried to force me to kneel. In our culture, that was a deep humiliation. When they couldn’t make me do it, they beat me badly. From that moment on, I swore I would never kneel before anyone,” says Rustam.
As a teenager, he began practicing karate, and after moving to Kyiv, he joined the national team of Ukraine. His success in sports fueled a desire for wealth. He realized that being a good fighter wasn’t enough to gain position and respect in society. “I was surrounded by people who wanted the same thing,” Pastor Rustam continues. “Athletes, former prisoners. We organized into groups, found people who made money through semi-criminal means, and using force and weapons, ‘offered’ them to share. This was during the birth of racketeering. I thought that having a thousand dollars would make me feel confident. But I soon realized how wrong I was… It was self-deception. I had hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. They were kept at home in regular shoeboxes, and I didn’t even know what to do with them. I already had everything money could buy, but it brought no happiness.”“Inside, there was emptiness. At the peak of lawlessness, it only grew and became unbearable,” Rustam says.
He began reflecting on who he had become, on the lack of purpose in life, on the evil around him, on how people betrayed their families for money and abandoned their loved ones. Neither they, nor he himself, had what he was searching for: kindness, sincerity, love.
“Is this really all that awaits us? If life is just about chasing mirages, what difference does it make if it ends in 50 years or right now? What’s the point?”
One night, unable to bear it anymore, he decided to take his own life. But suddenly, he remembered God. In an empty room, Rustam fell to his knees and began crying out loudly to the One he didn’t yet know. And he was heard.
In the winter of 1997, Rustam was arrested by officers of the Security Service of Ukraine and suffered serious injuries. Some time later, he was released. He was no longer the tough guy others admired and looked up to.
“I was injecting large doses of drugs, every vein in my arms and neck was ruined. With a constant fever above 39°C (102°F) and sleepless nights, I would ask God at dawn (though I didn’t know Him yet): ‘Why did You give me one more day? I hate my life. I don’t want to go on…’”
His mother, who attended an evangelical church, invited some believers to their home. Though Rustam remained indifferent, he noticed their sincerity.
“When they were leaving, I told my mom, ‘Give them some money. They prayed for me — they should be paid.’ She replied, ‘They don’t take money.’ I said, ‘Mom, I know people — everyone takes money.’ But they didn’t. And that shocked me.”
After that prayer, Rustam began to feel better. He accepted his mother’s invitation to attend church.
During one of the services, he noticed that the believers had something he lacked — a spark of life.
“There was joy — the same kind I felt as a child. But I thought I could never be like them.”
Yet that very day, God touched his heart, and Rustam repented.
“I decided to start from scratch. I no longer cared what people would say. I met God as a Person, and He reached out His hand to save me.
After that, he was completely freed from drug addiction. God healed him fully and gave him a desire to help others — those who were just like he had been.
Today, Rustam is a loving husband, father of three children, and senior pastor of the Tabernacle church in Kyiv.
His full testimony can be seen in the documentary “History of Skinia Church” and the TV program “Tested by Fire”.
The testimony of Rustam Fatullaiev is featured across various Christian platforms. He lost his father at an early age and spent much of his time on the streets, where he encountered its harsh realities. Humiliation from older and stronger boys shaped his personal motto: be strong and never back down. Filled with anger toward the world, Rustam excelled in sports and, while still young, gained respect in the criminal underworld.
As a child, he longed for truth and justice, but eventually began to despise those very things. Living by the “law of strength” led him into drug addiction. At age of 25, standing on the edge of death, he encountered God, who gave him salvation and a new life.
“I grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan. After my father died when I was 13, I realized I had to learn to stand up for myself. I remember once in a street fight, some older guys tried to force me to kneel. In our culture, that was a deep humiliation. When they couldn’t make me do it, they beat me badly. From that moment on, I swore I would never kneel before anyone,” says Rustam.
As a teenager, he began practicing karate, and after moving to Kyiv, he joined the national team of Ukraine. His success in sports fueled a desire for wealth. He realized that being a good fighter wasn’t enough to gain position and respect in society. “I was surrounded by people who wanted the same thing,” Pastor Rustam continues. “Athletes, former prisoners. We organized into groups, found people who made money through semi-criminal means, and using force and weapons, ‘offered’ them to share. This was during the birth of racketeering. I thought that having a thousand dollars would make me feel confident. But I soon realized how wrong I was… It was self-deception. I had hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. They were kept at home in regular shoeboxes, and I didn’t even know what to do with them. I already had everything money could buy, but it brought no happiness.”“Inside, there was emptiness. At the peak of lawlessness, it only grew and became unbearable,” Rustam says.
He began reflecting on who he had become, on the lack of purpose in life, on the evil around him, on how people betrayed their families for money and abandoned their loved ones. Neither they, nor he himself, had what he was searching for: kindness, sincerity, love.
“Is this really all that awaits us? If life is just about chasing mirages, what difference does it make if it ends in 50 years or right now? What’s the point?”
One night, unable to bear it anymore, he decided to take his own life. But suddenly, he remembered God. In an empty room, Rustam fell to his knees and began crying out loudly to the One he didn’t yet know. And he was heard.
In the winter of 1997, Rustam was arrested by officers of the Security Service of Ukraine and suffered serious injuries. Some time later, he was released. He was no longer the tough guy others admired and looked up to.
“I was injecting large doses of drugs, every vein in my arms and neck was ruined. With a constant fever above 39°C (102°F) and sleepless nights, I would ask God at dawn (though I didn’t know Him yet): ‘Why did You give me one more day? I hate my life. I don’t want to go on…’”
His mother, who attended an evangelical church, invited some believers to their home. Though Rustam remained indifferent, he noticed their sincerity.
“When they were leaving, I told my mom, ‘Give them some money. They prayed for me — they should be paid.’ She replied, ‘They don’t take money.’ I said, ‘Mom, I know people — everyone takes money.’ But they didn’t. And that shocked me.”
After that prayer, Rustam began to feel better. He accepted his mother’s invitation to attend church.
During one of the services, he noticed that the believers had something he lacked — a spark of life.
“There was joy — the same kind I felt as a child. But I thought I could never be like them.”
Yet that very day, God touched his heart, and Rustam repented.
“I decided to start from scratch. I no longer cared what people would say. I met God as a Person, and He reached out His hand to save me.
After that, he was completely freed from drug addiction. God healed him fully and gave him a desire to help others — those who were just like he had been.
Today, Rustam is a loving husband, father of three children, and senior pastor of the Tabernacle church in Kyiv.
His full testimony can be seen in the documentary “History of Skinia Church” and the TV program “Tested by Fire”.
Rustam Fatullaiev. History of the Tabernacle (Skinia) church