- It was protest by petition – a tactic that reflects the legacy of Alexei Navalny, the longtime Russian pro-democracy campaigner.
- Authorities say Navalny, a persistent thorn in the side of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died in prison on Feb. 16, 2024.
- It reflected the heart of a strategy that Navalny developed over more than a decade and that I have written about since 2011.
The movement remains
- Navalny highlighted the very real opposition to Putin and authoritarian rule that exists in Russia despite attempts to hide it from the world.
- To achieve these goals, team Navalny – and it is important to remember that while Navalny the man is dead, the movement he sparked remains – repeatedly used elections to make the opposition visible and spark political debate.
Putin inevitably won the election, with the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observer mission commenting that due to irregularities and abuses the winner “was never in doubt.” But nonetheless, Navalny’s efforts meant that a new opposition was in place and ready to take to the streets to fight election fraud.
Getting out of the electoral ‘ghetto’
- Despite his arrest and conviction on fraud charges in 2013, Navalny ran for mayor of Moscow that year.
- In the campaign, he innovated electoral politics, recruiting young volunteers who met voters on the streets and in their apartment blocks.
- Many of the volunteers rejected the idea that they were working for him.
- They built local organizations that attracted support and found some success in Siberian cities Tomsk and Novosibirsk, despite the endless obstacles the Kremlin placed in their way.
Return from exile
- Navalny survived Novichok poisoning only because international pressure forced the regime to allow him to be airlifted to Germany for treatment.
- During his recovery, Navalny used the attack on him to further his political activism and convey the regime’s growing brutality.
- Navalny’s return to Russia under threat of arrest in February 2021 kicked off the largest street protests – in support of the opposition leader – since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Handing on the baton
- As one respondent argued: “My civic position began to emerge.
- They support Ukrainian refugees and war efforts and participate in tracking down children who have been taken to Russia.
- Before his death, Navalny spoke directly to the generation of activists he inspired: “Listen, I’ve got something very obvious to tell you.
Regina Smyth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
