A resident of Kaltan (Kemerovo Region). He worked as the head of the Inspection of State Architectural and Construction Control of the Kaltan Administration, later as an engineer of the Capital Construction Department at the South Kuzbass TPP. On 2 May 2021, a search was conducted at his home. He was detained, and on 4 May the court placed him under house arrest. On 24 June 2021, the measure of restraint was replaced with a recognisance not to leave. In August 2022, the prosecutor's office returned the case for further investigation due to the fact that Tsikunov's right to defence was violated during the religious and linguistic expert examinations. In June 2023, the case went to court. On 6 March 2025, a verdict was issued, six years in a strict regime colony.