NAVALNY MOURNERS DEFY PUTIN AND FLOCK TO FUNERAL
THOUSANDS of Russians defied Vladimir Putin yesterday to pay tribute at the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Despite a heavy police presence and Kremlin warnings that ‘unsanctioned gatherings’ would be punished, crowds gathered at the church in Moscow for the service.
Supporters applauded and shouted Mr Navalny’s name as the Kremlin critic’s coffin was carried into the church.
Mourners threw red carnations on the hearse as it passed and shouted ‘Putin is a murderer’ and ‘Russia will be free’.
Those gathered outside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothes My Sorrows did so at great risk following the arrests of 400 people who had laid flowers at memorial sites to Putin’s political rival. At least 91 people were detained at events across Russia in Mr Navalny’s memory.
There were unconfirmed reports that several Navalny supporters were detained as they left their homes for the funeral.
Riot police wearing balaclavas surrounded the Russian Orthodox church and police snipers could be seen on roofs near the site. At least two people including an opposition politician were reportedly detained during and after the funeral.
Others were said to have been held in the cities of Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in central Russia.
State authorities made no public comment on the reports.
Mr Navalny, 47, died two weeks ago after authorities claimed he collapsed at the Arctic penal colony where he had been imprisoned. His widow Yulia has claimed he was poisoned, and accused the Russian leader of having ordered his killing, which the Kremlin called ‘absurd’.
Ms Navalnaya and the couple’s two children, Zakhar and Darya, live abroad for their safety and did not attend the funeral, but his widow posted a poignant tribute on social media yesterday.
Thanking him for ‘26 years of absolute happiness’, she added: ‘I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to do it so you – up there – would be happy and proud of me.’
Mr Navalny’s parents, Anatoly and Lyudmila, were embraced by mourners as they left the church after the service, with some supporters telling them: ‘Thank you.’
Pictures from inside the church showed the grieving couple sitting beside their son’s open coffin, which was covered by hundreds of red roses left by mourners. Outside, crowds chanted, ‘Thank you Alexei’, ‘We won’t forget you’, ‘No to war’ and ‘Murderers’.
Supporters said he gave Russians hope. One, Maxim, 43, said: ‘I don’t see anything illegal in coming to say goodbye to a great man.’ Another, Maria, 55, said she was
‘I don’t know how to live without you’
‘afraid and sad’, but wanted to attend, adding: ‘We don’t have any more politicians like him.’
Thousands followed his coffin as it was taken for burial at Borisovskoye Cemetery.
His parents stroked and kissed his face before his body was covered with a white shroud and the coffin was closed and lowered to the theme music from Terminator 2 – his favourite film.
Mourners streamed past his
open grave, throwing soil on the coffin. His mother then watched workers bury him.
Russian authorities claim he died of natural causes, but many believe he was killed because of his opposition to Putin’s regime.
Mr Navalny survived being poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in 2020. After being treated in Germany he chose to return to Russia despite warnings that his life was in danger.
Even though Russian state media barely mentioned his funeral, more than 250,000 people watched live coverage on YouTube.
His team had struggled to find a church willing to hold the funeral, which was carried out in the southern Maryino district of Moscow, where he used to live. Ireland’s Ambassador to Russia, Brian McElduff, attended the funeral, along with other diplomats including the German, French and US ambassadors. Presidential hopefuls Boris Nadezhdin and Yekaterina Duntsova were also in attendance. Both wanted to run against Vladimir Putin in the upcoming presidential elections and opposed his war in Ukraine; neither was allowed on the ballot. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: ‘The Kremlin doesn’t have anything to say to Navalny’s family on the day of his funeral.’ He added that unsanctioned gatherings were unlawful, adding: ‘Accordingly, those who participate in them will be held accountable.’