Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny believed he would die in prison, excerpts from his memoirs have revealed.
Navalny was Russian President Vladimir Putin's most prominent enemy and campaigned relentlessly against corruption in Russia's civil servants. He died in February in a remote Arctic prison while serving a 19-year sentence on multiple charges, including running an extremist group, but said his activities were politically motivated.
of new yorker And the Times published an excerpt from his book, “The Patriot,'' which will be released on October 22nd.
Navalny was jailed in 2021 after returning from Germany, where he was recuperating from a nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin, and was sentenced to three prison terms. Russian officials strongly deny poisoning and any involvement in Navalny's death.
“Patriot” was released in April by publisher Alfred A. Knopf, who called it Navalny's “last letter to the world.” Khnopf said Navalny began writing the book while recovering from addiction and continued writing in and out of prison in Russia.
On March 22, 2022, he wrote: “I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison and die here. There'll be no one to say goodbye to… Every anniversary will be celebrated without me. I'll never see my grandchildren again.”
Although Navalny has accepted his fate, his memoirs convey a firm stance against corruption in the Russian government.
Also on March 22nd, Navalny wrote: “My approach to this situation is by no means contemplative and passive. I am here to help end authoritarianism (or, to put it more modestly, contribute to ending authoritarianism). I’m trying to do whatever I can.”
In an excerpt published on January 17, 2024, a month before his death, Navalny answers questions from fellow prisoners and guards: “Why did you come back?”
He writes: “I do not want to abandon or betray my country. If your beliefs have meaning, you must be willing to stand up for them and make sacrifices if necessary.”
Navalny's writings are notable not only for their capture of the isolation and hardship of imprisonment, but also for their humor. He describes making a bet with his lawyer over the length of his new sentence. Vadim surprised everyone by predicting exactly 12 years and 6 months. I expected 7 or 8 years, but it turned out to be a winner. ”
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He also marveled at the absurdity of being made to sit “for hours on a wooden bench under a portrait of President Putin” as a “disciplinary activity.”
“I don't have a six-pack yet,” he added with a wry smile, talking about his hunger strike and the discomfort of constant exposure to freezing cold.
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a statement released by the publisher in April that the book was a testimony “not only to Alexei's life, but also to his unwavering commitment to the fight against the dictatorship.” He added that sharing his story “will be an inspiration to others.” It's about standing up for what's right and never losing sight of the values that really matter. ”
She also said that the memoir has been translated into 11 languages and will “definitely” be published in Russian.
