February 22, 2024

Flowers and Handcuffs for Navalny


Flowers and Handcuffs for Navalny
Flowers left for Navalny in Moscow. SotaVision, Telegram.

On February 16 and 17, makeshift memorials and protests for Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny sprung up across Russia and the world.

In Moscow, police pushed protestors away from the "Wall of Grief" and detained anyone carrying banners. Mourners also gathered at the Muzeon Park's monument of the repressed, but police threw all flowers into the snow.

In St. Petersburg, Archbishop Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko was set to celebrate a civil funeral for Navalny at the Solovetsky Stone. As the cleric was leaving his house, he was arrested. The ceremony carried on without him, but attendees were arrested.

Yekaterinburg woke up to graffiti commemorating the late Navalny. Arrests in connection with Navalny memorials have also been documented in Arkhangelsk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, and Skytyvkar, among other cities. Flowers for the Russian opposition leader have even been laid in annexed Luhansk.

In London, residents left bouquets and signs that read, "You can kill Navalny but not the opposition, we are here" and "Not all heroes wear capes." In Helsinki, Paris, and Lisbon, candles were accompanied by signs with the words "Don't give up," a signature phrase of the Russian opposition leader. Portraits of Navalny stood firmly in Almaty, Amsterdam, Bishkek, Riga, Tokyo, Vilnius, and Yerevan. In Turin, mourners waved blue and white flags and carried a sign in Italian that read, "Putin is a War Criminal." Rallies for Navalny were organized in cities in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Poland, Serbia, and the United States, among others. 

In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, mourners were allowed to leave flowers but were quickly dispersed by security forces. Despite Turkey's NATO membership, Istanbul police did not allow protests for Navalny; four people protesting in front of the Russian consulate were detained, but mourners left floral arrangements and commemorative cards at a memorial for Mehmet Ayvalıtaş, a twenty-year-old killed by a taxi during anti-government protests in 2013. Police quickly removed all objects from the scene.

Navalny, who appeared in good health in a Russian court hearing on February 15, died after falling ill during a walk in the Kharp Prison complex the next day. Nearly 400 mourners have so far been arrested in Russia at the time of this writing.

Navalny's body has not yet been returned to his family. The Russian president has not commented on Navalny's death.

You Might Also Like

Repression Impacts Lawyers
  • October 17, 2023

Repression Impacts Lawyers

A court in Moscow has ordered the arrest of lawyers representing Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, charging them with participation in an "extremist community."
Navalny, Lexiconvict
  • September 06, 2023

Navalny, Lexiconvict

The Russian Supreme Court upholds a Kafkaesque ban on Navalny using prison slang.
Navalny Launches Antiwar Campaign
  • June 21, 2023

Navalny Launches Antiwar Campaign

Politician and political prisoner Alexei Navaly is launching a "big propaganda machine" to counter Putin and pro-war propaganda.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955