Alexei Navalny is a Lawyer, Politician and Anti-Corruption Activist who gained international fame as one of the most vocal and persistent critics of President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny is widely known for exposing large-scale corruption in Russia’s government and business sectors through his investigative work, including videos and blog posts.
His political activism and bold criticism of the Kremlin have made him the face of opposition to Putin’s rule.
File
- Full name: Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny
- Date of birth: June 4, 1976
- Age (as of 2024): 48 years old (died in 2024)
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Butyn, Russia
- Nationality: Russian
- Occupation: Lawyer, Politician, Anti-corruption activist
- Parents: Anatoly Navalny (father), Lyudmila Navalnaya (mother)
- Siblings: Oleg Navalny (older brother)
- Spouse: Yulia Navalnaya
- Children: Daria Navalnaya, Zahar Navalny
- Relationship status: Married
- Religion: Russian Orthodox (Christianity)
- Ethnicity: Russian
- Net worth: 2 million USD
Early life and education
Alexei Navalny was born on June 4, 1976 in Butyn, Russia. He grew up in a military family, with his father being a Soviet army officer, which meant that Navalny spent much of his childhood moving between various garrison towns near Moscow.
His mother, Lyudmila, worked as an economist. He spent his summers with relatives in Ukraine, especially near Chornobyl, where he witnessed firsthand the Soviet government’s response to the nuclear disaster.
This experience may have contributed to his distrust of government transparency, later fueling his anti-corruption work.
Navalny pursued his education in Moscow, where he studied law at the Russian People’s Friendship University, graduating in 1998.
He then went on to earn a degree in economics at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation in 2001.
His studies in law and economics gave him a solid foundation for his later activism, allowing him to navigate and challenge the complexities of Russia’s financial and legal system.
Personal life
Navalny married Yulia Navalnaya in 2000. The couple met while working in Moscow and they have two children: Daria and Zahar.
Daria studied at Stanford University in the United States, while Zahar is younger and largely out of the public eye.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has been a regular figure in his political life, often supporting him during his imprisonment and speaking on his behalf.
The couple’s strong relationship is an important aspect of Navalny’s personal and public persona.
Despite repeated imprisonment, attacks and trials, Yulia and their children remained supportive and actively participated in his political struggle.
Career
Navalny began his political career by joining the liberal Yabloko party in 2000, but his rise to prominence came when he shifted his focus to anti-corruption activism.
In 2008, he launched a shareholder campaign, buying small stakes in state-owned companies and using his shareholder position to publicly challenge corruption at the highest levels.
His blog and later his YouTube channel, where he released investigative videos, became major platforms for exposing the corruption of Russia’s elite.
Navalny’s investigations, such as his 2015 Chaika video, which accused Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika of having criminal ties, have garnered millions of views and further increased his visibility.
He also coined the phrase “party of crooks and thieves” to describe United Russia, Putin’s political party, which has become a gathering place for opposition groups.
Navalny ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013, winning 27% of the vote in a heavily manipulated election that was widely criticized for unfair practices.
Despite being barred from running for president in 2018 due to a criminal conviction deemed politically motivated, Navalny continues to organize and inspire protests against the Putin regime.
prize
- Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, European Parliament (2021)
- Time 100 Most Influential People (appears many times)
Net worth
At the time of his death, Alexei Navalny’s net worth was around $2 million. His financial resources are mainly devoted to the Anti-Corruption Fund (FBK) and related activities.
However, the Kremlin often targets his organization and its assets have been frozen several times.
Death
Alexei Navalny died on February 16, 2024, while serving a prison sentence in a remote Arctic colony.
He has been jailed since his arrest in 2021 after returning to Russia following treatment for poisoning in Germany. Navalny’s death was officially attributed to a sudden illness.
However, his supporters and human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, citing possible mistreatment and harsh conditions at the detention center where he was detained.
Argumentative
Navalny’s political career has been mired in controversy due to his consistent and fearless opposition to Vladimir Putin’s government.
His branding of United Russia in 2011 as “the party of crooks and thieves” was a bold accusation that resonated with many Russians but also led to multiple criminal investigations towards Navalny himself.
In 2013, he was convicted of embezzlement in a trial widely seen as politically motivated to block his rise in politics.
The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that Navalny had been denied a fair trial, further tarnishing the reputation of the Russian legal system.
In 2020, Navalny survived an assassination attempt involving the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. He was flown to Germany for treatment, where tests confirmed the poisoning, and Navalny publicly accused Putin of orchestrating the attack, a charge the Kremlin denies.
Although he recovered, his return to Russia in January 2021 led to his immediate arrest and further charges, sparking protests across Russia.
Navalny’s foundation was labeled an extremist organization in 2021, and many of his associates were forced to flee the country to avoid repression.
Navalny’s imprisonment and subsequent hunger strikes, along with the ongoing harassment of his supporters, have become a global symbol of Putin’s tightening grip on power and the dangerous environment for dissent. political opinion in Russia.
His death in custody after suffering health complications further sparked outrage and accusations of foul play by human rights groups.
Social Media
- Instagram: @navalny
- Twitter: @navalny
Cinema
- Navalny (2022 documentary)
