He is also a member of the board of the Youth Public Chamber of Russia.

[1] Afonin was born in Tula, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union on 22 March 1977.

He studied history at the Tula State Pedagogical University named for Leo Tolstoy, and then obtained a law degree from the Russian Academy of Public Administration, a predecessor of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA).

[2] Sanctioned by the UK government in 2022 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War.

[4] Afonin was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.