[ad_1]
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s admirers held memorial services in cities across Europe as he was buried in a Moscow cemetery.
In Berlin, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Russian embassy, laying flowers, lighting candles and placing pictures of Navalny. Many people were in tears.
Olga, a 24-year-old student who did not want to give her full name, added her flowers to the hundreds of floral tributes.
“I’ve been living in Berlin for five years,” she said. “I left Russia because I didn’t agree with Russian politics.”
She recalled the first time she met Mr. Navalny and how “propaganda” dismissed him as just another blogger.
“I didn’t agree with everything he said…but he opened my eyes to politics,” she added.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
By now, she said, it was clear that “no one is going to do the job for us, we have to try harder.”
There were similar scenes in other German cities, including Münster in the west.
As people mourned in Berlin, excerpts from Navalny’s interview were played, with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” playing in the background.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
The same song was played at the ceremony in London, which was attended by about 300 people.
Many mourners had tears in their eyes as flowers and messages praising Navalny and condemning the Kremlin poured in.
Among Navalny’s photos was a message that read: “Who’s next?”
Anna, a 48-year-old British-Russian, brought her 11-year-old daughter to the wake.
“I want her to know what Mr. Navalny has done for all of us,” she said. “Mr. Navalny represented Russia’s freedom and hope.”
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
She also said she has family in Russia and declined to give her full name.
Living in the “free world” and attending the ceremony was the least she could do, she said, praising the courage of Russian mourners despite warnings from the Kremlin.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
“The people who went there are heroes.”
“I came here to find support from people who share my values,” said Pavel Tolmachev, a 17-year-old student living in London since 2021.
“He represented Russia’s future, true democratic values.”
In Paris, dozens of mourners stood silently in the pouring rain near the war memorial on the Trocadéro promenade, across the river from the Eiffel Tower.
Advertisement – SCROLL TO CONTINUE
Fresh flowers were placed next to Navalny’s photo at the temporary memorial.
Some placards at the scene read “Thank you” and “We will not give up.”
“Russia has lost hope, but Mr. Navalny will live on in people’s hearts,” said Nadezhda, a 38-year-old choreographer.
“So many people gathered (in Moscow) today. They are not afraid. They do not agree that Russians are slaves and Ukrainians are free. Even if the regime falls, people will quickly He will adapt.”
She declined to give her full name for security reasons and said she was still traveling to Russia.
“For me, Mr. Navalny meant freedom and hope for a better future,” said Alexandra, who brought a bouquet of white tulips to the wake.
“There is still hope. It is very important to remain hopeful,” she said, declining to give her full name.
Hundreds of people also gathered at an impromptu memorial near the Russian embassy in the Serbian capital Belgrade.
“For me he is a hero,” said Olga Zavalina, a 34-year-old designer. “We will continue to fight for his dreams.”
“Russia will be free,” reads one placard. “Heroes never die”, read another article.
Similar ceremonies were held in other cities, including Armenia’s capital Yerevan, Croatia’s capital Zagreb, and Spain’s Barcelona.
[ad_2]
Source link
