The number of people bowing to the memory and work of opposition leader Alexei Navalny is growing. The true number of his followers can hardly be estimated based on the people who came to say goodbye to him, BGNES reported.
Several thousand gathered around the church where Navalny was laid to rest and then followed him on his final journey to his grave.
The real number of his followers is not those few thousand but 1 million who have virtually expressed their respect for their leader. In less than an hour, their number grew from 500 thousand to 1 million. This is an action that the Russian police cannot disperse.
At the same time, it is extremely important that so far there have been no clashes and the entire mourning ceremony passes quietly and calmly. Only it is interrupted by the shouts of Navalny's followers, who chant his little name and wish for a Russia without Putin.
The funeral service in memory of Navalani was held in the Moscow church "Icon of the Mother of God the Sorrower of My Sorrows".
The ceremony took place two weeks after the death of the opposition figure in an Arctic prison. His supporters accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of killing his chief critic and of trying to prevent his dignified public burial.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned against "unregulated gatherings" during the funeral.
"Any unauthorized gatherings will be in violation of the law and those who participate in them will be held accountable," said Peskov.
Russian opposition leader Boris Nadezhdin said Navalny's death was a tragedy not only for his family, but also for millions of other Russians.
"Today is a tragic day, because the death of Alexei is a great loss not only for his family and relatives, to whom we express our condolences, but also for a huge number of people. I think for millions of people in Russia, and not only in Russia." , said Nadezhdin.
In the crowd were the ambassadors of France and Germany, as well as some of the last free independent politicians in Russia.
"People like him should not die: honest and principled, ready to sacrifice," said one of the mourners.
On the way from the "Mariino" metro station to the temple there is a corridor of metal fences, the police checks the documents of passers-by. Internet in the area of the church is intermittent.
The anti-corruption activist, the most prominent opponent of President Vladimir Putin, was buried after a short candlelight vigil at a nearby church.
The grave was left open in accordance with Russian Orthodox tradition, but was quickly closed after the religious service, at which Navalny's parents could be seen.
At the cemetery, Navalny's casket was lowered into the grave to the soundtrack of the movie Terminator 2, which his representative said was the 47-year-old Navalny's favorite movie.
Navalny's death was condemned by Western leaders, and his supporters accused Putin of murder and of trying to prevent a dignified public burial.
The Kremlin, which denies involvement and dismisses the accusations as "hysterical", warned of "unauthorised" protests surrounding the funeral.
"We will not forget you!" and "Forgive us!" shouted some mourners, cheering as the casket arrived for the funeral.
Thousands of people passed by the grave to pay their last respects.
Several hundred people could be heard nearby shouting anti-war slogans.
His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who has vowed to continue his activism, paid tribute on social media.
"I don't know how to live without you, but I will try my best to make you, up there, happy for me and proud of me," she wrote.
She thanked him for "the love, for always supporting me, for making me laugh even from prison, for always thinking of me."
Earlier this week, she said she feared the funeral could be disrupted by arrests.
Navalny has blamed Putin for her husband's death, sparking outrage among Western leaders and the opposition.
Putin's spokesman Peskov criticized the accusations made by her and some Western leaders as "vulgar".
On the day of the funeral, Peskov stated that he had "nothing to say" to the family of the deceased.
About 400 mourners have been detained at Navalny's memorials since his death, rights group OVD-Info said, and there were fears of more arrests at the funeral, which saw a heavy police presence.
"What are they afraid of?" one of the mourners, Anna Stepanova, told AFP outside the church.
"They themselves are real cowards. The people who came here are not afraid. Alexei was not afraid either. People like him should not die: honest and principled, ready to sacrifice," she added.
Among the mourners in front of the church were noticed the ambassadors of France, Germany and the USA, as well as some of the last free independent politicians in Russia.
Navalny rose to prominence thanks to his anti-corruption campaign, which exposed what he said was rampant bribery at the top of Putin's administration.
Some of the mourners mentioned the enormous influence Navalny had on their own political activities.
"Thanks to him, I got involved in politics. He was the first public figure I listened to," says 26-year-old Dennis, a charity volunteer.
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Russia after receiving treatment in Germany for poisoning.
"Alexey was tortured for three years. He starved in a small stone cell, was cut off from the outside world and was denied visits, phone calls, and then even letters," Navalna told lawmakers in Brussels.
"And then they killed him. Even after that they abused his body," she said.
His body was kept in the morgue for 8 days before being returned to the family, which Navalny's team says is an attempt to cover up responsibility for his death.
His family and team also accused authorities of trying to prevent a dignified public burial, fearing it could become a hotbed of unrest.
Navalny's team said local investigators threatened to bury him on prison grounds if his mother did not agree to a "secret" burial.
After the body is released, his allies try to find a place that will agree to hold a funeral ceremony, as well as hearse drivers.
And a civil ceremony to allow the general public to pay respects to the body - a common occurrence in Russia - was not permitted.
Navalny vowed to continue his work and promised to "fight more desperately, more fiercely than before."
Some in the crowd outside the church seemed to agree.
"A man died, but his ideas will live on thanks to those who gathered here," said 22-year-old archaeologist Alena, who came to pay her respects.
Many in the crowd held up their phones to take pictures, a scene reminiscent of the rallies Navalny organized in the capital just a decade ago.
"It's a bit scary because you don't know what's going to happen. But I think it's a way for people to wake up and not be silent," said 37-year-old doctor Maxim.
There is "overwhelming discontent. I came because he was a hero, the last hero of our homeland," said Inessa, a 60-year-old former lawyer. /BGNES
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