Thousands Gather to Mourn Alexei Navalny: A Last Hurrah for Democracy in Russia?
By Steve Rosenberg, Russia Editor
In the fast-paced world of journalism, it is often difficult to fully comprehend the significance of the events we report on. As a journalist covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, I found myself constantly filing reports without a moment to pause and reflect. It was only in the early hours of the morning, after a long day of reporting, that I could truly grasp the magnitude of what had occurred.
For the past two weeks, I have been immersed in the story of Alexei Navalny’s death in an Arctic penal colony. I have spoken to his family about the challenges they faced in recovering his body and witnessed Muscovites paying their respects with floral tributes. But it was not until I saw his coffin being lowered into the grave that the reality of Navalny’s death truly hit me.
The tributes to Navalny have continued, with Russians, including his mother Ludmila, visiting his grave to lay flowers. These scenes have left me pondering their significance in relation to Russia today.
Given the current wave of repression against dissenting voices, it was uncertain how many Russians would come out to bid farewell to the Kremlin’s staunchest critic. In recent days, hundreds of people had been detained by police at events commemorating Navalny. However, thousands defied the authorities and showed up to pay their respects.
As I spoke to people waiting outside the church, I was struck by their hope for a better future for their country, inspired by Navalny. They expressed support for freedom, democracy, and peace. Later, the crowds chanted slogans that had not been heard on Russian streets since the invasion of Ukraine, such as “Freedom to Political Prisoners!” and “No to war!”
This display of public sentiment stood in stark contrast to the Russia portrayed on state TV, which is fiercely anti-Western, pro-Putin, and supportive of the war in Ukraine. It seemed as though a different Russia, one that rejects Putin’s regime and aspires to be a democratic country, had emerged.
The question that lingers in my mind is whether these scenes were the dying embers of liberal democracy in Russia, a final moment of freedom of expression before it is extinguished completely. The authorities have been working tirelessly to suppress dissent, enacting repressive laws to silence and punish critics. With Navalny’s death, the opposition has lost its most charismatic leader.
In two weeks’ time, President Putin will face a presidential election with no serious challengers. The authorities will likely declare it a “landslide” victory and portray Putin as overwhelmingly popular, dismissing his critics as a small minority. However, many Russians who vote for him do so not out of enthusiasm for his policies or vision for Russia, but because they see no alternative. This is precisely what the Kremlin has aimed to achieve by eliminating any viable rivals from the political arena.
What I witnessed on the streets of Moscow during Navalny’s funeral was a genuine outpouring of support for a politician who had inspired a segment of the Russian public with an alternative vision for their country. While Navalny may be gone, the desire for a different Russia remains strong among these individuals.
In conclusion, the scenes of thousands gathering to mourn Alexei Navalny’s death raise important questions about the future of democracy in Russia. Despite the efforts of the authorities to suppress dissent, there is a significant portion of the population that yearns for change and rejects Putin’s regime. Whether their voices will be heard and whether democracy can survive in Russia remains to be seen.
