Shouting “Navalny! Navalny! Navalny!”, thousands of Russians said goodbye to Alexei Navalny, who was considered the main opponent of President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the heavy police deployment and threats of arrests, numerous citizens gathered in the vicinity of the Moscow church of Our Lady Mother of God “Relieve my suffering”, where the funeral was held this Friday; and also in the nearby Borisovskoye cemetery, where the opponent’s body was buried.
Navalny’s parents, Anatoly and Lyudmila, led the events, which were attended by the ambassadors of Germany, France and the United States in Russia.
The late leader’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who lives abroad with the couple’s two children, did not attend for fear of reprisals. However, she took the opportunity to thank her husband for “26 years of absolute happiness” through a heartfelt statement.
“I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to do it so that you – up there – are happy and proud of me,” added the widow.
As the coffin containing Navalny’s remains was brought into the church, those gathered outside began chanting his name and burst into applause.
Immediately afterwards, shouts of “murderers!”, “Russia will be free!”, “we will not forget you!” were also heard. either “You weren’t afraid and neither were we!”reported BBC Russia correspondent Steve Rosenberg.
There were also cries of “no war” and “Russia without Putin.”
A long line of people, with flowers and candles, formed on the street leading to the temple.
The massive citizen presence has occurred despite the fact that hours before the authorities warned that they would arrest anyone who participated in unauthorized demonstrations.
As soon as the dissident’s death became known, on February 16, dozens of people were arrested in different Russian cities when they gathered to pay tribute to him.
“Any unauthorized gathering will constitute a violation of the law and those who participate in it will be held accountable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov declared this Friday.
The official avoided answering the questions that journalists asked him about both the deceased politician and the demonstration of mourning on the part of Muscovites.
“I came because this is the only chance for me to say goodbye to Alexei. I admire your courage, I admire your resilience. I don’t understand why he is feared even in death. That’s why I’m here,” declared one of those who decided to move to the Márino district, where the funeral was held and where Navalny lived.
Another attendee told the BBC that he came to the site to reject “the murder of a brave and honest man who wanted a great future for his country.”
Another, whose identity the BBC did not disclose to avoid reprisals against her, said that this was “not the time to be a coward in Russia” and that the risk of arrest was due to the Russian government’s fear of Navalny’s supporters.
“We are just people in mourning and with flowers, but they are afraid of us”said.
“What are they afraid of? “Why so many cars?” Anna Stepanova asked, referring to the barriers and riot police trucks deployed in the vicinity of the church and cemetery.
“They themselves are very afraid. The people who came here are not afraid. Alexei didn’t have it either,” the woman, who also wanted to say goodbye to the activist, told the AFP news agency.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz not only paid tribute to Navalny, who he said “paid with his life for his fight for democracy and freedom,” but also paid tribute to the Muscovites who decided to attend the funeral, despite the threats. governmental.
“After his death, brave Russians continue his legacy”Many of them attended the funeral today and took a great risk for freedom,” the president wrote on his X account (former Twitter).
The non-governmental organization OVD-Info reported the arrest of more than dozens of people throughout the country, of which at least six were apprehended in Moscow.
In the city of Yekaterinburg, the police reportedly arrested 10 people, while in the Siberian town of Novosibirsk, 18 were detained, including a councilor.
So far the Russian government has not confirmed this information.
Hours before the ceremony, Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said they had difficulties with the preparations and denounced that They found it difficult to find a hearse to transport the coffin.
Since the Russian media ignored the funeralNavalny’s team made a special program that was broadcast on YouTube, which showed images of the events both around the church and in the cemetery.
However, the authorities did not allow the religious service that took place inside the church to be filmed.
However, images of the ceremony have been released, in which it can be seen that the coffin was open, to allow family and friends to see and touch the deceased, as as is styled in the tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Navalny’s body was buried at the Borisovskoye cemetery, where hundreds of people also came to pay tribute to him.
The opponent’s coffin was buried to the sound of the song My Way by Frank Sinatra and an orchestral rendition of the film’s main theme Terminator 2. “Navalny thought that Terminator 2 “It was the best movie in the world,” his spokesperson said on social media.
Navalny, 47 years old, died on February 16 while serving a 19-year prison sentence in a prison near the Arctic Circle.
So far the causes of death are unknown, although the official certificate issued by the Russian authorities speaks of “natural death.”
However, the fact that authorities took eight days to deliver Navalny’s body to his mother has reinforced the suspicions of his family and friends that he was murdered.
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