Alexei Navalny’s Legacy and the Future of Russia
The death of Alexei Navalny raises questions about the future of Russia, mainly if resistance to Putin is possible. Navalny, “undoubtedly the leader of the Russian opposition,” has left a considerable gap to fill as the opposition figurehead against Putin’s regime, and one that doesn’t have an obvious current or near-future successor.
Alexei Navalny, most likely killed either directly by Putin or indirectly as a consequence of earlier poisonings, died while serving a 19-year prison sentence in Russia’s remote “Polar Wolf” Colony in the Arctic on February 16th. Following his death, Russians bravely and boldly held demonstrations in cities throughout Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. At least 366 of these demonstrators, many only paying tribute or exhibiting sympathy for Navalny by laying flowers to the Solovestsky Stone, were detained by Russian police. Protestors throughout the world—from California to Armenia—followed their lead, demanding an end to Putin’s regime of terror and memorializing the life and death of Navalny.
Navalny, age 47, was the most significant Russian opposition leader to Putin, and his death came as “ a significant blow” to those against Putin’s regime. Navalny first made headlines when he utilized his law degree and legal skills as a corruption investigator to launch political campaigns in 2013 and again in 2018. Further, he developed his own YouTube channel, which could reach millions of Russians, and established the largest Russian anti-corruption organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation. His launchings of publications detailing corruption and the extravagant, wasteful spending of Putin and other elites, despite the daily economic struggle faced by the majority of the population, characterized him as “a thorn in Putin’s side” in his launchings of publications detailing corruption and the extravagant, wasteful spending of elites and Putin, despite the daily economic struggle faced by the majority of the population. Despite the challenges raised, Putin never saw Navalny as a realistic victor in the elections, but Navalny represented a challenge to his authoritarian, dictatorial regime nonetheless. In 2020, the highly toxic nerve agent Novichok poisoned Navalny. With the suspicion that the poisoning was the Kremlin, he recovered in Germany and returned to Russia, knowing that he would be detained upon arrival. He was imprisoned again in January 2021.
Navalny’s most obvious successor, who seeks to challenge Putin, is his now-widowed wife, Yulia Navalnaya. On Monday, Navalnaya vowed to continue where her husband left off in the fight against Putin. However, outsiders may question the viability of her promise, and her new position puts her at risk of being killed or imprisoned like her husband. Navalny’s organization, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, vows to continue to fight for the values Navalny pushed for, with confident statements about their success now under the guidance of Yulia Navalnaya.
Navalny’s “legacy is one of tragedy,” yet—with the exception of Yulia Navalnaya—his fellow members of the opposition movement either are too scared of death or imprisonment to speak out or are in exile from Russia. Various ideological groups are anti-Putin but lack a unifying presence like Navalny. Those on the political left or right, liberals, communists, and ethnic republics all find different points of contention against Putin but find problems agreeing among themselves. Similarly, with Putin’s corruption and dishonorable political practices, or “the reputation of a politician who kills to stay in power,” Putin “has less to lose” against killing whoever rises to take Navalny’s place, another deterrent to any would-be successor.
Navalny’s death occurred during a contentious period for Russia. With Western sanctions, the almost 2-year war in Ukraine, and less than a month until the Russian election that will mark Putin’s third decade as President, tensions are high. However, not all is lost. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on X that Navalny’s death demonstrated that “Putin fears nothing more than dissent from his own people.” With Alexei Navalny as a martyr, a potent political tool, perhaps his death will inspire a new generation of Russians to seek freedom and continue their fight against Putin despite full knowledge of the repercussions of doing so.