Navalny’s dear words: NPR

The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny wears during his trial on August 27, 2018 during his trial in a courthouse in Moscow.

Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images/AFP

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Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images/AFP

It is this week to read words that Alexi Navalny wrote from a Russian prison colony over the Arctic circle for his book Patriot.

“I knew from the start that I would be detained for a lifetime,” he wrote, “either for the rest of my life or until the end of the life of this regime …”

The end of Alexi Navalny’s life came in this prison a year ago this weekend, February 16, 2024, in which he was convicted of “extremism”. Alexi Navalny was 47 years old. He had two children, Dasha and Zakhar, and was married to Yulia Navalnaya, who continues his work for the anti-corruption foundation.

If Alexi Navalny had stayed in Germany, where he had been evacuated to medical care in 2020 in 2020, he would have been free to give interviews to post Tikok videos, keep a podcast and prominent speeches around the world hold. Instead, he returned to Russia and what he knew that he was almost safe to oppose the Putin regime.

Navalny speaks eloquently of politics and democracy in “Patriot”, which was released last autumn. But if you now read the book near the anniversary of his death in a cold prison colony, you could pause to see a letter in which you can see his joke and a warm love. He writes to Yulia on her birthday

“I hate glass,” Alexi Navalny begins.

“Because I have only seen you through glass for six months. In the courtroom, through glass. On visiting, through glass …

“And of course we do the classic thing during visits that everyone knows from cinemas … When everyone presses their hand on their side and says something good on the phone. It’s nice, but it’s still only glass that we are touch.

“And another amazing fact: Comedy films are less funny now. Does that happen to you? …

“Laughing together makes a fun moment 25 percent funnier. Sometimes even 30 percent.

“Yulia, baby, happy birthday! I adore you. I miss you. Stay good and will not be discouraged …

“As far as the glass is concerned, sooner or later it will melt with the heat of our hands. And comedies will be fun again. I love you.”

Words of Alexi Navalny worshiped, who died this weekend a year ago.