But faith is strong in Slavik’s family. Rather than crush them, the persecution strengthened their resolve to worship the one true God. His grandparents copied the New Testament by hand and memorized it so they could teach their children. One handwritten book was secretly passed from one family member to another. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine enjoyed more religious freedom, and Slavik earned a degree in philology—the study of philology —from Mechnikov University in Odessa. He earned a secondary degree at the President’s Academy for Public Administration in Ukraine.

After foreign exchange internships, Rymskyi began a career with Social Services in the Odessa region, becoming the assistant to a Member of Parliament. He successfully ran for the office of councilman in the Odessa region and served for five years. He was named Volunteer Global Director in the autumn of 2021 and is assisting CapMin to establish Bible studies for political leaders in European capitals. Rymskyi and his wife Sasha have been married since 2013 and have a son and a daughter.