Alexey

Alexey Navalny. His heart has stopped beating.

The world mourns. A person associated with Navalny asked me to join a broadcast, scheduled for February 16, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Waking early, I found a message: “Broadcast canceled.” Soon after, news of Alexey’s death flooded in, accompanied by a photo of him smiling before a “Stop” sign, bannered with “Send murderers and corrupted bastards to jail, not the people and protesters.”

“Navalny has been murdered. A grim reminder of what brutal kleptocrats can do. It happened to Navalny, to Russia, to freedom. Putin fears his people, wages wars for distraction. The naive hope ends here.” This was my initial reaction posted on X. So sad. Sadness seems to have no limits. Navalny was an ikon who overcame his fears. A person who understands what to fight against and what to fight for becomes like that. This is the feeling that descends upon those who see its purpose as larger than life. Motherland, people, freedom. These values are greater than any individual human being. But it fits rarely in the human heart and soul. He was a beacon of hope for countless number of people. Only Kremlin-entrenched thugs and their circle feared him to death. He loved to tease them revealing everything they hide from the public. Their lies, their thefts, and their true faces. ALEXEI was the biggest threat to the Putin regime. Bigger than any block and any country combined.

He had a “larger-than-life” personality. He was the only one in Russia if politics is discussed positively. His enemy poisoned him. Many times tried to kill him. Navalny made a miraculous recovery from almost certain death. Germans saved him. We shall say “Thank you” for their prompt action. He even tricked his would-be assassins into a public confession. He used every available tool to light the darkest corners of frozen Russia. He was true Alexey the Great. Navalny was not as perfect as others would like him to be. There is no such being as a perfect person, but perfection is unattainable. Imagine who God would become if they lived among us for a few years. Open societies or democracies are not perfect either. They have their flaws and weaknesses.

Just like human beings. Even a beautiful flower is not perfect. They have thorns and horns. Expecting perfection leads to disappointment. Navalny risked a lot. He chose to return to Russia, knowing the risks, preferring duty over comfort. Upon arrival, he was imprisoned, sacrificing his freedom for public trust. Long before he snatched he was unfree. He had no choice. When a person no longer belongs to himself, he loses his freedom. Gaining more public trust means losing more of your independence. That’s why politics is said to be tough. Sometimes life seems like a candle. Navalny was the brightest light in Russia. But he was fragile. He became much more fragile in the Arctic colonies. Mongols say, that even mountain tigers get caught by ants.

When ALEXEY was sentenced he became a candle on the nightstand of the dictator’s bed. The candle will light up but the master will die. The tyrant remains but the candle turns off. That was the way out for him. The little man pinched the candle. Putin subjected Navalny to years of torment before his murder. Navalny’s love for freedom, his family, and his people embodied the human spirit’s indomitable will. The desire for freedom is the most powerful force. However, for the enemy just a pinch or blow, the freedom extinguishes. I believe every heartbeat is a call for freedom. Though Navalny’s heart has stopped, his legacy will forever haunt those who murdered him. His death cannot erase the impact he made. Even if he killed his legacy will live for eternity. Nowadays, Navalny has found the extraordinary power. He will continue to scare oppressors to death. That perfect power and bright light will shine the darkness for a long. Dictatorship will be over, but Alexei will live on…