Alexei Navalny was a revolutionary figure in Russia for a number of years. The politician was an outspoken critic against corruption in Russia. He ran for president of Russia in 2016 and tried to run again in 2018. He died in prison on February 16, 2024. The Russian Federal Prison Service announced his passing in a statement. By his side through it all was his wife Yulia Navalnaya (née Abrosimova).
The Russian prison service announced his passing in a statement on Friday. “Navalny felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness,” it said, per NBC News. “The facility’s medical workers immediately arrived at the scene and an emergency medical team was called in. All necessary resuscitation measures have been carried out, but they did not yield positive results. Emergency medics confirmed the death of the convict.”
'My husband is in prison for telling the truth' — Yulia Navalnaya, wife of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, accepted the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for 'Navalny' #Oscars pic.twitter.com/qehQjeCPZc
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) March 13, 2023
When the film about her husband won the Academy Award for Best Documentary at the 95th annual Academy Awards in 2023, Yulia shared a message of encouragement for her husband as he served his sentence. “My husband is in prison, just for telling the truth. My husband is in prison, just for defending democracy. Alexei, I am dreaming of the day when you will be free, and our country will be free. Stay strong, my love,” she said.
Following his death, Navalny is survived by his wife and their two children. Find out more about Yulia and Alexei’s marriage here.
Alexei & Yulia Were Married From 2000 Until His Death
Alexei and Yulia first met in 1998, and the connection was instant. The pair crossed paths while at a resort in Turkey. The future Russian presidential candidate was only working as a lawyer at the time. “He immediately felt that I would be his wife,” she told journalist Julia Ioffe, who recounted the conversation in Vanity Fair in a July 2021 story. The pair got married in 2000, and shortly after Alexei began his political pursuits.
The pair celebrated 20 years of marriage in 2020, when Alexei was recovering in a German hospital from being poisoned. She visited and spoke with him and played him music while he recovered. After the politician was better, he credited his wife with helping him recover. “Yulia, you saved me, and let them put it in all the neurobiology textbooks,” he said.
They Had 2 Children
Alexei and Yulia had two children together. Their daughter Daria is 23, and their son Zahar is 15. When accepting the Academy Award, both of their children were also present. After their first child was born, Yulia became a stay-at-home mom, but she quickly became very involved in her husband’s political ambitions.
She revealed that the difficult hours that a politician holds were difficult at first for the family, but she quickly learned about how important his work was. “At first it irritated me, but then I see what people write about him, about what a good job he’s doing, about who would do it if it weren’t for him,” she said, according to Vanity Fair.
Yulia Was Her Husband’s Secretary When He First Ran for Office
When Alexei began his political career as a blogger and activist, his wife took up a prominent role in his efforts. She acted not only as his wife, but as his assistant and secretary, per Woman. As Alexei rose as an activist and eventually politician, Yulia became more outspoken and joined him at campaign events and spoke in his favor on multiple occasions, like when one of his opponents Viktor Zolotov challenged him to a duel, she shared a strong message dismissing him. “The only feeling I have for Zolotov is contempt. I despise him as a thief and a coward,” she wrote in an Instagram post, per Meduza. “He is a coward because he never responded to any of the allegations of corruption made by the FBK and backed up by ironclad evidence.”
Since her husband’s imprisonment and when he was poisoned, Yulia has become more of a public figure. While Alexei was hospitalized in 2020, she regularly shared updates and thanked his supporters for their well wishes on her Instagram.
She Was Named One of the Most Influential Women in Russia
With all of her public support and speaking out against Russian corruption, Yulia has also become a prominent figure in the opposition party. She’s inspired so many people to speak out against the government, and she’s been nicknamed the “First Lady” of the opposition party. She’s used her platform to encourage others, and she’s shared glimpses of how her activism has affected her family, yet they remain unwavering. “I am not afraid, and I urge you all not to be afraid either,” she said during a January 2021 speech, per NBC News.