Thousands of mourners gather outside Alexei Navalny's funeral in Moscow as Putin critic is laid to rest

Dozens of Alexei Navalny’s mourners, some carrying bouquets of flowers, walk from the church to the cemetery. — Alexei Navalny’s supporters walk from the church to the cemetery following his funeral in Moscow on Friday. (Reuters) (Reuters / Reuters)

Thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow on Friday outside the funeral for Alexei Navalny, the 47-year-old outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who Kremlin officials say was found dead in a remote arctic prison last month.

What happened at the funeral?

Four pallbearers carry Navalny’s coffin into the church. — Pallbearers carry Navalny’s coffin into the church. (Anadolu via Getty Images) (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chanting “We are not afraid!” Navalny’s supporters lined up behind barriers in front of the Mother of God Quench My Sorrows church in Moscow as his casket was whisked in for a brief ceremony before being taken to the nearby Borisovsky cemetery, where he was buried.

Navalny’s coffin was lowered into the ground as Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” was played in the background, according to reporters who were there.

About a dozen police walk outside the church after the funeral service. Throngs of Navalny supporters stand behind barriers in the background. — Police walk outside the church after the funeral service for the late Russian opposition leader. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images)

Pallbearers carry the coffin and a portrait of Navalny out of the church. — Pallbearers carry the coffin and a portrait of Navalny out of the church. (AP) (AP)

A hearse carrying Navalny’s coffin is parked outside the church before the funeral. Dozens of mourners stand behind barricades on either side of the vehicle. — A hearse carrying Navalny’s coffin is parked outside the church before Friday’s funeral. (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Mourners knock over a barrier outside the funeral. — Mourners knock over a barrier outside Navalny’s funeral. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images) (AFP via Getty Images)

The public was barred from entering the church or cemetery by police, who prevented people from leaving flowers or taking pictures. Foreign diplomats, including Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, were photographed holding roses outside the church.

Navalny’s parents, Lyudmila and Anatoly, attended the funeral. But other members of the family, including Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow who has vowed to take up her late husband’s fight, live outside Russia for their safety and were not seen at the church on Friday.

Who was Alexei Navalny?

A Navalny supporter holds a framed photo of him and bouquets of roses outside his funeral at a Moscow church. — A Navalny supporter holds a framed photo of him outside his funeral in Moscow on Friday. (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Navalny was born on June 4, 1976, near Moscow.

A former lawyer, he rose to prominence in the early 2000s and 2010s for leading nationalist marches and exposing what he called corruption among the Russian elite, describing Kremlin leaders as “crooks and thieves.”

Navalny used drones to expose some of the lavish lifestyles of senior Kremlin officials, posting images of mansions and yachts used by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and a palace built on the Black Sea for Putin’s personal use.

Several women, one holding a bouquet of roses, look through the metal bars of a fence outside the church where Navalny’s funeral was being held. — People gather outside the church where Navalny’s funeral was being held Friday. (AP) (AP)

Young people look through the metal bars of a church fence. — Young mourners outside the site of Navalny’s funeral. (AP) (AP)

A woman holds up a framed portrait of Alexei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, outside the church in Moscow. — A woman holds a portrait of Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, with the words “Eternal love has no death.” (AP) (AP)

Navalny survived an assassination attempt with a nerve agent in 2020 and had been imprisoned since returning to Russia in 2021. He was being held in a Russian jail about 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

On Feb. 16, Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said in a statement that Navalny lost consciousness and died after taking a walk.

Kremlin officials say Navalny died of “natural causes.” His family and supporters have described his death as “murder.”

What was the U.S. reaction to his death?

A dozen mourners hold candles inside the church at Navalny’s funeral service. — Mourners hold candles at Navalny’s funeral service. (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Last week the White House unveiled what it described as “major sanctions” against Russia in response to Navalny’s death and its ongoing war in Ukraine.

President Biden, who met privately with Navalnaya in San Francisco, praised Navalny for his bravery — and put the blame for his death squarely on Putin.

“Make no mistake,” Biden said. “Putin is responsible.”

Mourners hold candles during Navalny’s funeral service. — Mourners inside the church during Navalny’s funeral. (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Relatives and friends pay their last respects to Navalny in front of his open casket. Navalny’s body is covered with long-stemmed roses. — Navalny’s relatives and friends gather around his open casket inside the church during his funeral on Friday. (AP) (AP)

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