- Navalny’s posthumous autobiography set for international release, despite Kremlin opposition
- Widow Yulia Navalnaya reveals late husband’s clandestine writing endeavor
- Book recounts Navalny’s life, criticizes Kremlin; Penguin Books, Alfred Knopf publish
According to his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, the autobiography that Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny penned before his death will be published later this year. This revelation reveals the existence of a text that Navalny’s inner circle had concealed for years.
Navalny, who passed away in February at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison, aspired to be elected president of Russia and was the most ardent domestic critic of Vladimir Putin.
The authorities have labelled his allies extremists, but they have accused President Putin of orchestrating his assassination and have pledged to provide evidence to support that claim.
While Navalny was alive, the Kremlin disregarded him as a marginal US-backed troublemaker intent on destabilising Russia. Navalny was a former lawyer who oversaw corruption investigations into Russia’s political establishment. The Kremlin has denied any state involvement in his death.
His widow, Navalnaya, stated on Thursday in an X post from outside Russia that her late husband had begun writing the memoir Patriot in 2020, following his flight to Germany for medical treatment after being poisoned by what Western physicians believed to be a nerve agent.
“This is in no way what I had envisioned Alexey’s biography to be.” “I assumed that by the time we reached our eighties, he would be seated at his computer with an open window, engaged in tedious typing,” Navalnaya remarked.
“However, the events transpired as they did.” Extremely, extremely, extremely unfairly.
However, Alexey commenced the composition of a book at that moment (2020) and became inexplicably engrossed in the undertaking.
“He delighted in connecting the events of his life to national affairs.” “He thoroughly enjoyed recounting anecdotes from his youth,” Navalnaya explained.
She stated that the book would be concurrently published in at least eleven languages and Navalny’s native Russian on October 22. Two months after being poisoned, Navalny began dictating portions of the book to Kira Yarmysh, his spokesperson, while he was recuperating in Germany. She stated that he completed the book while incarcerated in Russia in 2021, after his return.
“Alexey possessed the uncommon ability to pronounce written text immediately. Maintaining pace with him required me to interject intermittently, “You just used that word again!” Yarmysh communicated via Telegram.
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“From prison, I overheard individuals commenting on Alexey’s [social media] posts: ‘He writes so well; I wish he would write a book!'” I also had the urge to shout and clap my palms, “He is writing one!” “He is currently writing one!” We agreed, however, to maintain their secrecy. “The secrets are now revealed,” she declared.
Penguin Books UK characterised the book on X in a statement as “a stirring call to continue the work for which he gave his life and the complete story of Navalny’s life.
Alfred A. Knopf is publishing the autobiography in the United States. In addition, a distinct statement from his widow was published.
Navalnaya was quoted by Knopf as saying, “Speaking his story will not only honour his memory but also motivate others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.”
In Navalny’s native Russia, where the government proscribed his movement as “extremist” and labelled his supporters as US-backed revolution spurs, the book is unlikely to be readily available.
Putin described Navalny’s passing as “sad” and stated a month ago that he was willing to exchange prisoner for the Western nation on the condition that he never returned to Russia.
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