For years Alexei Navalny has been Vladimir Putin’s fiercest, and most relentless, persistent, and prominent domestic opponent. As the links below testify, (they are a sample), I have written about Navalny regularly and frequently, including in a book that appeared a decade ago, The End of Leadership.
Navalny has not been much in the news lately, in part because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And in part because he, who is already serving time in prison, was recently sentenced to another nine years, this time in a maximum-security facility.
Putin has been out to get Navalny for years. But each time, so far, he has failed. Putin has failed to kill Navalny or even completely to cripple him, though by locking him away for the indefinite future, Putin is trying to ensure that whatever Navalny’s voice that remains, will be silenced.
I am writing about Navalny today to draw attention to a film titled, “Navalny,” that is about to be released in the U.S. I have not yet seen it. But early word is it is as excellent as important. Which means that for anyone with any interest in Russia under Putin, or in leadership and followership more generally, the film is must-viewing. Here a link to further information about the movie, “Navalny.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navalny_(film)
And, here links to a few of my earlier blogs in which Navalny makes an appearance: