Russians gather in subdued defiance to lay Navalny to rest

Moscow, March 1

Standing under grey skies holding bouquets, Russians lined up patiently along pavements leading towards opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s funeral on Friday, two weeks after his death in a Siberian penal colony.

By the time the coffin was being driven to a cemetery on the opposite bank of the Moskva River, thousands had gathered, chanting Navalny’s name. Some called President Vladimir Putin, who Navalny’s allies accuse of ordering his death, a murderer.

The Kremlin denies any state involvement in his death. The protest went a little further. The Kremlin said any unsanctioned gatherings in support of Navalny would violate the law, and police had deployed hours before the funeral, erecting metal barriers.

Mourners were forced to mill around a short distance from the site of the funeral, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow district of Maryino where Navalny used to live, and from the Borisovskoye cemetery where he was later taken and buried.

Among the mourners were foreign dignitaries, including US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, who stood solemnly in black outside the church before the funeral carrying red roses. No mourners would give reporters their full names.

Inside the church, Navalny’s mother Lyudmila sat holding a candle as priests in white robes stood over the coffin. Navalny’s top aides, all based outside Russia, struggled to contain their emotions as they broadcast live video of the farewell to their leader.— Reuters