Alexei Navalny played pivotal roles as a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, anti-corruption crusader, and ultimately, a political detainee. He orchestrated protests against the government, contended in elections to push for anti-corruption reforms within Russia, and openly opposed President Vladimir Putin’s administration.
As a member of the Russian Opposition Coordination Council, Navalny held influential positions, notably leading the Russia of the Future party and establishing the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which exposed corruption at the highest levels of Russian politics.
Navalny’s unwavering dedication to human rights and political reform led to global recognition. Amnesty International acknowledged him as a prisoner of conscience, highlighting his imprisonment for his political activism. Additionally, he received the prestigious Sakharov Prize in recognition of his tireless efforts in advancing human rights causes.
On February 16, 2024, the Russian prison service announced the passing of Navalny at the age of 47, purportedly due to a blood clot.
Alexei Navalny Parents: Meet Lyudmila Navalnaya and Anatoly Navalny
Alexei Navalny was born on June 4, 1976, Butyn’, Russia, to his mother Lyudmila Navalnaya and his father Anatoly Navalny.
Navalny’s heritage was a mix of Russian and Ukrainian descent. His father hailed from Zalissia, a former village near the Belarusian border that was relocated due to the Chernobyl disaster in Ivankiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.
Navalny spent his formative years in Obninsk, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Moscow. However, he often spent summers with his grandmother in Ukraine, where he developed fluency in the Ukrainian language.
Anatoly Navalny and Lyudmila Navalnaya, his parents, owned and operated a basket-weaving factory in the village of Kobyakovo, Vologda Oblast, since 1994.