Mourners Chant Navalny’s Name as Kremlin Critic Is Laid to Rest
Thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow on Friday to say goodbye to the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent critic.
“I glanced back and found myself unable to see where the crowd ended — it seemed to stretch on forever,” said Vadim, who attended the funeral ceremony.
Despite the risk of detention, official warnings and a heavy police presence, thousands of Navalny’s supporters gathered at the Russian Orthodox church and nearby cemetery in southeastern Moscow where his funeral was held to honor his legacy.
“I came today to see for the last time a man like no other in this country, and in the whole world,” said Nadezhda, 69, who was standing at the church’s entrance with a large bouquet of roses.
A former volunteer at Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, Nadezhda remembers how Navalny’s blog first sparked her interest in politics over a decade ago.
“For me personally, he was the hope for a different life in this country,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We became orphans [when he died].”
With Navalny’s team and thousands of his supporters in exile due to a sweeping political crackdown, holding a funeral for President Vladimir Putin’s adversary was always going to be fraught with risk.
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