Today saw the largest opposition gathering in Russia since
Alexei Navalny’s jailing in January 2021.

The fact that it was allowed to
happen suggests the Kremlin may have been worried about the
optics of not allowing the late opposition leader’s family to bury him, or of
arresting mourners at a church or cemetery.

It’s also possible that the authorities in Moscow didn’t see the ceremony as enough of a threat.

They’ll be hoping now that the
mourners quietly dissipate and – with no organised opposition to speak of left
in Russia – the Kremlin will hope it won’t have to worry about Navalny’s cause again.

Let’s bring you some more voices of mourners at Navalny’s funeral.
As in our previous post, we are keeping them anonymous.

One said they feel comfortable knowing they are in the company
of like-minded people, that “it is not scary when we are together”.

“We came just to honour the memory of the person who was
not scared of anything,” they added.

Another added that it was “important to see people who
agree that what happened is terrible”.

“[Navalny] is a person who once made me interested in
politics… he inspired many people,” said another.

The Terminator 2 theme song was played after Navalny’s coffin was lowered into the ground.

“[Navalny] thought Terminator 2 was the best film in the whole world,” his spokeswoman Kira Yarmish said.

Copyright: Reuters

Shortly after the body of Alexei Navalny had been laid to rest in a cemetery outside Moscow, the US embassy in Russia released a statement memorialising the deceased opposition leader as “a shining example of what Russia could & should be”.

“His death is a tragic reminder of the lengths the Kremlin will go to silence its critics. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, supporters, & all those he has inspired to work for a brighter future,” the embassy said in a post shared on X.

Lynne Tracy, the US ambassador to Russia, was seen earlier in the day laying flowers at a memorial for the late opposition leader, alongside her Western counterparts from Germany and France.

Thousands of people have attended Alexei Navalny’s church funeral service, and later saw his coffin being lowered into the ground at a cemetery in south-eastern Moscow.

They gathered despite significant risks of repression from the authorities.

Here are some of the photos from today’s ceremony in the Russian capital.

Copyright: Reuters

Copyright: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Copyright: Reuters

Copyright: Reuters

Copyright: Reuters

At
least two people – including an opposition politician – have been detained
during and after Navalny’s funeral in Moscow, media reports say.

They say several people were also held in the cites of
Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in central Russia.

The Russian authorities have not publicly commented on
the issue.

Paying tributes to Navalny, German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz says
the opposition leader “paid with his life for his fight for democracy and
freedom.

“After his death, courageous Russians are carrying on his
legacy: many of them were at the funeral today and took a big risk – for
freedom,” he says on X (formerly Twitter).

Copyright: Reuters

Some mourners who attended Navalny’s funeral have spoken about their reasons for taking the risk to be there. We’ve kept them anonymous.

One said Navalny’s death was a “killing of a brave, of an honest man, who wanted a great future for his country” and they felt compelled to honour him.

Another said that this was “not the time to be a coward in Russia”, and the risk of arrest was due to the Russian government’s fear of Navalny’s supporters.

“We are only people with the flowers in grief and that’s all. They are afraid of us,” they said.

Navalny’s brother Oleg, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, has posted a tribute on Instagram.

Under photos of the two of them, he writes:

Quote Message: Sleep easy, brother, and don’t worry about a thing.”

Thousands of people came today to pay their respects to
Alexei Navalny – and they did so despite significant personal risks that may
follow.

At least 400 people were
detained just for laying flowers on the day of his death, 16 February. And we know for a
fact that at least some of them later lost their jobs with a clear message
that this was because of their political position.

We don’t yet know what may follow for people who have come to
the church and cemetery today, but mourners definitely needed some bravery to show up.

There’s been a significant police presence today, with dozens of
security personnel in uniform. But from my eight years’ experience covering events like this, there could well be a few dozen more (at least) plain clothes officers closely monitoring the situation and taking pictures of those present.

Russian courts have labelled both Navalny and his
organisation extremists, so any association with them can lead to serious
trouble.

Borisovskoye cemetery – where Alexei Navalny has been buried – is due to close very soon, at 17:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

Large crowds have been seen there paying their last respects to the Russian opposition leader, risking the possibility of arrest in the process.

But it’s unclear what happens next – will they be forced to leave or allowed to stay on?

Navalny’s wife Yulia and two children currently live abroad, and have decided not to travel to Russia reportedly amid concerns of possible repression from the Kremlin.

In a poignant tribute to her husband on Instagram, Yulia thanked him for “26 years of absolute happiness”.

“I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to do it so you – up there – would be happy and proud of me.

“We will definitely meet one day,” Yulia added.

She also posted footage of some of the most memorable moments of the couple’s lives.

We’re yet to establish exactly how many people attended Alexei Navalny’s funeral today – but it’s definitely in the thousands.

There was a heavy police presence, but hours after the proceedings started there were no reports of any arrests.

Perhaps the feeling there was strength in numbers as people chanted “no to war”, “Russia without Putin” and “Russia will be free”.

Many have routinely been arrested simply for carrying signs bearing these slogans.

Today, emboldened by the occasion, a crowd of thousands chanted them.

For those of us used to watching Russia closely, it felt surreal.

We’re now hearing that The Terminator 2 theme song was played out after Navalny’s coffin was lowered into the ground.

“[Navalny] thought The Terminator 2 was the best film in the whole world,” his spokeswoman Kira Yarmish said.

The lid is now closed on Navalny’s casket before being lowered into the ground.

Playing in the background at Borisovskoye Cemetery is Frank Sinatra’s My Way.

Alexei Navalny’s burial has now begun.

The live stream from Borisovskoye cemetery shows mourners paying their last tributes at the opposition leader’s open casket.

As we reported earlier, large crowds gathered outside of the Church of the Icon of Our Lady Quench My Sorrow in Moscow for the funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

When his coffin arrived, crowds could be heard chanting his name.

You can watch that moment back here:

Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila, was seen being greeted by mourners outside the church shortly after the funeral service ended.

In a video shared on social media, several people could be seen approaching and hugging her, saying: “Thank you for your son” and “forgive us”.

As we’ve mentioned, cameras were not allowed to film the funeral service inside the church. However, people attending have obviously been able to take pictures of the proceedings.

One photo, widely circulated on social media, shows Navalny’s open casket.

This is commonplace in the Russian Orthodox tradition and means mourners can see and touch the face of the deceased.

In the picture, which is at the bottom of this post, Navalny is seen lying in his coffin, covered in red and white roses.

He is surrounded by people – including his mother, Lyudmila, and his father, Anatoliy – holding candles. An Orthodox priest stands nearby.

The hearse carrying Alexei Navalny’s coffin has now arrived at Borisovskoye cemetery – just over a mile away from the church where the funeral service was held.