A large police force was on site, and metal barriers were set up in the square in front of the church. Relatives said goodbye at the open coffin in the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Relieve my suffering” in the southeastern district of Marjino.
Navalny’s team showed in a live stream on YouTube how the body lay covered in flowers in the coffin, surrounded by numerous people during the service. Alexei Navalny’s face was also visible. His mother, holding a candle, and his father sat at the coffin during the ceremony.
“My way” as a farewell
The coffin was then transported to the Borisovskoye cemetery for burial. An orchestra played funeral music. The song “My way” was played. The body was covered with a cloth before the coffin was closed and lowered into the ground.
The widow Yulia Navalnaya, the daughter Daria and the son Zakhar did not attend the funeral service because they are abroad for their own safety. Navalny’s wife had accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband. She would risk being arrested in Russia. Navalny’s team is also not in the country because his employees, who are considered extremists, would also be arrested immediately.
“26 years of absolute happiness”
Navalnaya paid tribute to her husband on X shortly after his funeral on Friday and thanked him for “26 years of absolute happiness.” She wrote: “I don’t know how I’ll live without you, but I’ll do my best to make you up there happy for me and proud of me. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I will attempt.”
Despite a large presence of police and other uniformed security forces, many of them masked, the crowd was huge. A two-kilometer-long line of people waiting to say goodbye to Navalny had formed in front of the church. Many people clapped and shouted Navalny’s name. The brown coffin was carried out of the church after the funeral service in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Relieve my suffering” in the southeastern district of Marjino. He was then transported to the funeral scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. CET) at Borisovskoye Cemetery.
Picture gallery: Funeral service for the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny
(Photo: OLGA MALTSEVA (AFP)) Bild 1/40
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People openly protested against Putin. “Russia without Putin!”, “Putin is a murderer!”, “Russia will be free!” and “No to war!” people chanted in chorus, as reporters from the German Press Agency reported on Friday. They spoke of a tense atmosphere given the large number of uniformed officers from the Omon special police.
Thousands of people had gathered
In a live stream on YouTube, Navalny’s team showed thousands of people chanting “Nawalny, Navalny, Navalny” behind barriers made of metal bars. They chanted: “We do not forget. We do not forgive.” Some also shouted, “You were not afraid. And we are not afraid.” Many of the statements come from Navalny, who, while free, once brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets to protest against the Kremlin. Navalny’s employees called on people to remain calm.
- Video: Knips-Witting (ORF) on Navalny’s funeral
Austria’s ambassador on site
According to the Foreign Ministry, Austria’s ambassador to Moscow, Werner Almhofer, represented the republic at the funeral. The Green Party’s foreign policy spokeswoman, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, who wanted to travel to Moscow, did not receive a Russian visa. She laid a wreath in front of the Russian embassy in Vienna. NEOS MP Stephanie Krisper also took part in the memorial event. NEOS foreign policy spokesman and EU leading candidate Helmut Brandstätter laid a wreath in front of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg. SPÖ MP Petra Bayr, the SPÖ’s foreign policy spokeswoman, emphasized in a broadcast the responsibility of the Putin regime for Navalny’s death.
According to the Russian human rights group OWD-Info, 400 people have been arrested at mourning rallies for the Kremlin critic since Navalny’s death.
Even after his death, Navalny is putting the power apparatus on edge. Putin’s authorities fear that supporters of the opposition leader could protest against the Kremlin leader. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Friday that every citizen bears responsibility for taking part in unauthorized actions on the streets. At the same time, he answered a Russian journalist’s question as to whether the Kremlin had anything to say about Navalny’s death: “No, nothing.”
Putin wants to be confirmed as president in an election in two weeks. Supporters and relatives of Navalny as well as human rights activists accuse Putin of having the Russian opposition leader murdered in custody. The Kremlin rejects this.
Circumstances of death still unclear
According to authorities, Navalny died on February 16 in the penal camp with the unofficial name “Arctic Wolf” in the Siberian Arctic region of Yamal. The circumstances of his death are not clear.
The politician, weakened by a poison attack in 2020 and repeated solitary confinement in the camp, is said to have collapsed during a tour of the icy prison yard and died despite attempts to resuscitate him.
According to Navalny’s team, the death certificate mentions “natural” causes.
