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With news of the death of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Friday, many Russians are reeling from the loss of the man they described as the last hope for a free and democratic Russia.
Navalny, who first rose to fame as an anti-corruption blogger, led the 2011 “White Ribbon” protests against Vardimir Putin’s decision to return to the presidency after six years as prime minister. It attracted the attention of liberal Russians.
But Navalny’s charisma, wry sense of humor and stubborn refusal to seek asylum outside Russia helped him win over young, liberal-minded Russians.
Prison authorities said Navalny, 47, collapsed and died after a walk in the remote Arctic penal colony. News of the opposition leader’s death attracted worldwide attention. President Joe Biden quickly condemned Putin and let the Russian leader know that the United States was seeking consequences.
Navalny has never won a political election, but his allies and supporters say that if he survives his imprisonment and survives Putin’s rule, he could become president and lead the country into a radically different political He frequently claimed that he could lead them into orbit.
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His death, which took place just a month before Russia’s 2024 presidential election, dashed the aspirations of a generation that never had the chance to vote for Mr. Navalny.
“A symbol of childish courage”
Dasha, a Russian university student studying abroad in Los Angeles, said she plans to return to Russia in the summer to see her family. Now she feels “a sense of dread” about her next trip.
Dasha and other Russian nationals interviewed by USA TODAY agreed to speak on the condition that they be identified only by their first names, fearing retaliation against them and their families back home.
“This confirms the harsh reality that my parents warned me about,” Dasha says. “There is no appeal in returning to a country led by individuals who are willing to resort to murder.”
Navalny was serving several prison terms, including a 19-year sentence for “extremism” that a court sentenced him to in August. He has been imprisoned since January 2021 and returned to Moscow just months after being poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in an assassination attempt.
“What happened to Mr. Navalny is further proof of Mr. Putin’s brutality,” Biden said at a press conference Friday. “No one should be fooled.”
Yana, 21, decided to leave her native Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Yana, now in Israel, said he rarely thought about returning home, but whenever he did, it was because of Navalny.
“He was the epitome of childlike courage,” she says.
“I always thought, ‘If Lesha becomes president, maybe we can consider returning,'” Yana added, calling out Navalny by name.
“A ray of hope for Russia’s future”
Dasha said he sees Navalny as “the last courageous voice standing in a landscape of fear and repression.”
“Mr. Navalny represented a ray of hope for me and for Russia’s future,” she added.
Matthew, a recent university graduate who lives in Moscow, said in Russian that he and others his age view Navalny as “the most outstanding example of open opposition in modern Russia.”
News of Navalny’s reported death did not immediately spark large-scale protests in Russia’s major cities (apparently due to repressive laws banning protests), but it spread on the social media channel Telegram. Video showed hundreds of people laying flowers at makeshift memorials in major cities. In honor of Mr. Navalny.
Some videos also showed Russian police officers arresting several mourners. According to OVD-Info, a Moscow-based independent human rights group and information service focused on political issues, as of Saturday, about 100 people in eight cities had paid tribute to Navalny’s death by laying flowers and attending various wakes. He was arrested by Russian police for attempting to participate in the activity. Persecution in Russia.
Matthew said that while he personally was still struggling to come to terms with Navalny’s death, “Once you realize the reality, the fact of his death is discouraging, robs you of hope, and sends you into a stupor.” .
But Matthew said Russians like him will not give up on the dream of political change in Russia.
“Mr. Navalny says that even if you die, you should never give up hope,” Matthew said, referring to a 2022 documentary about Mr. Navalny’s recovery from the assassination attempt.
“Hope lives within each of us,” he said. “We have to take care of our family and friends, work on our own development, never run away from anything and follow our goals. That’s what Mr. Navalny did.”
“We all have to believe.”
The future of Russia’s opposition was uncertain even before Mr. Navalny’s death, with other opposition figures either exiled or imprisoned or in declining health, such as Vladimir Kara-Murza. There is.
Kara Murza was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Kara-Murza survived two poisoning attempts that he blamed on the Kremlin, but was arrested and imprisoned shortly after his March 2022 speech in the Arizona House of Representatives condemning Russian aggression.
But while public figures and ordinary Russians alike said Mr. Navalny’s death was a major setback, it may not be the end of opposition to Mr. Putin, who is expected to declare victory in next month’s election. unknown.
“We will not give up,” Mikhail Zhigal, founding editor-in-chief of Russia’s independent news channel TV Rain, said in a statement.
Zhigal, who left Russia days after the invasion of Ukraine, said Navalny would be a role model and inspiration for the future of Russia’s opposition.
“As an ideal example, Mr. Alexei Navalny will always be with us,” Zygar wrote. “As a superhero for generations. As a man who carries the stories of children growing up.”
Dasha, who has only lived under Putin’s regime, said the rebels cannot afford to be complacent.
“Living in Russia, where President Putin has always been in power, we face the daunting prospect of waiting for his death as a catalyst for real change,” she said. Ta. “We hope this will encourage us to engage in further political action, recognizing that the current government is suppressing dissent and perpetuating injustice.”
Like Zygar, Yana described Navalny as a “superman,” but was more pessimistic about what his death would mean for Russia.
Even when some young Russians became disillusioned with their country in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, “Alexei’s name was always included in motivational speeches and slogans,” she said.
“Many people continued to say such words even after the war started in Ukraine,” she says. “They won’t do it anymore.”
But Zhigal wrote that Navalny “will become the ‘founding father’ of the new Russia.”
“Many seriously believed that there was no democracy in the world, no freedom of speech, only propaganda everywhere, and no such thing as fair justice. But Alexei believed in all those values,” Zeiger wrote. “And he gave his life for it.”
“So now we all have to believe,” he added. “And the next generation will watch him and grow and learn and believe.
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