Alexei Navalny funeral: Russian opposition leader buried after crowds cheer at Moscow church

After a short funeral service, the coffin of Alexei Navalny was taken from the Soothe My Sorrows church to the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery for burial.

Mourners, including his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, placed red and while flowers on top of his open casket.

A counter at the website of the human rights group OVD Info says that 67 people have been detained so far in 16 locations across Russia, including Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. The numbers are expected to increase.

The Kremlin has attempted to stifle displays of grief for Navalny. The weekend following his death on Feb. 16, more than 400 people were arrested for laying flowers and paying tribute at memorials nationwide.

The Russian president stepped up his threats against Western countries yesterday, warning that they risk global nuclear war if they send their own troops into Ukraine.

Putin issued the threat at the top of his annual state of the nation address, ahead of a presidential election next month that he is certain to win. He spoke for more than two hours to Russia’s Federal Assembly at Moscow’s vast and grand Gostiny Dvor conference center, a stone’s throw from the Kremlin, surrounded by typically tight security with the surrounding streets cordoned off.

Putin covered an array of topics, from Russia’s low birthrate to its need for better broadband coverage. But top of the agenda ahead of Navalny's funeral was his warning against deepening Western involvement in Ukraine.

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It is difficult to understate the risk taken by every single Russian who gathered for the funeral today.

The Kremlin signaled that unsanctioned gatherings would be dealt with to the letter of the law. And the law is harsh.

Watching the event, one may recall the funeral of late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died about six months after Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Gorbachev and Navalny were very different figures in many ways, but by the time of Gorbachev’s death, the Russian regime wasn’t much fonder of the former Soviet leader. Putin himself snubbed Gorbachev's funeral, and the police presence in central Moscow on that day was also heavy. Yet, thousands of people came out to show their respects then as they did today.

“I came here to say goodbye to Navalny. What does that mean for me? I don’t even know how to explain it,” said a 25-year-old man who gave his name as Kirill.

“It’s very sad for the future of Russia ... We won’t give up, we will believe in something better.”

A young woman, Kamila, said: “There are more than 10,000 people here, and no one is afraid ... We came here in order to honor the memory of a man who also wasn’t afraid, who wasn’t afraid of anything.”

If the Kremlin did kill Navalny, why now?

The Russian opposition leader’s allies offered their answer to the question that has hung over his death, alleging that Putin had the jailed dissident killed to thwart an imminent prisoner swap that would have freed him — and two Americans.

Five sources told NBC News that a deal to free Navalny was in the works, although the swap was not thought to be imminent when his death was announced Feb. 16. Two of those sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the mooted deal would have included reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Two U.S. officials said that Washington had not directly discussed the idea with Moscow. One said that Putin may have found out that it was under discussion by U.S. and German officials. 

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Thousands of people paid their respects to Navalny today, despite having every reason not to.

They were joined by a few famous opposition figures — the few who remain free in Russia. Among them is Boris Nadezhdin, a politician who was recently barred from standing against Putin in this month’s presidential election on an opposition platform.

Another notable figure in attendance was Yevgeny Roizman, the former opposition-minded mayor of Yekaterinburg. Roizman was once seen as the most likely figure remaining in Russia around whom an anti-war movement might coalesce. He has been charged with violating military censorship laws, and supporting an extremist organization (Navalny’s group), but has not yet been sentenced to any jail time.

Also attending were the families of slain or imprisoned opposition figures, including relatives of Ilya Yashin — a close ally of Navalny who is currently in prison himself.

There is no one else left from Russia's opposition leadership to attend.

After Navalny's coffin was carried to the entrance of the Borisovskoye Cemetery in Moscow, his parents and others watched as the Russian opposition leader was lowered into the ground.

The U.S. Embassy in Russia has paid tribute to Navalny in a statement marking his burial today.

"Alexey Navalny remains a shining example of what Russia could & should be," it said.

"His death is a tragic reminder of the lengths the Kremlin will go to silence its critics. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, supporters, & all those he has inspired to work for a brighter future."

The Russian presidential election in two weeks may be a foregone conclusion, but we are learning a lot about where Russia is at right now — two years into its war in Ukraine.

Within 24 hours, the streets of Moscow have seen images of Putin giving his annual speech blasted out from large billboards all over the capital, followed in short order by images of the funeral of a dead opposition figure broadcast all over the world.

The Kremlin used to tolerate open dissent. It even once allowed figures like Navalny to run for office (though Navalny’s 2018 attempt to get his name on the presidential ballot failed). And more care was once taken with ensuring that so-called “fake” opposition, such as the Communist Party, appeared “real” enough to siphon discontented votes.

All of this underscores that this presidential election is, in its way, unique compared to all previous Russian elections since the fall of the Soviet Union. The messaging from the Kremlin this year: There is no alternative, there is only Putin. And the message from the opposition: We are not done yet.

His wife’s voice was the first thing Navalny recognized when he woke up from a poisoning attempt that he blamed on the Kremlin. 

But today, Yulia Navalnaya's words were a tribute to the husband she says has now been killed by the Kremlin, and she has vowed to take up the mantle of his fight for a “free Russia.”

Her defiance in the aftermath of Navalny’s death in an Arctic penal colony has turned her into a leader-in-waiting for the country’s beleaguered opposition, raising hopes that his dream of a “beautiful Russia of the future” did not die with him. 

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Supporters of the Russian opposition leader stood in long lines near the church in Moscow where a farewell service was to take place. The images were carried by Navalny’s YouTube channel.

Navalny's wife paid tribute to her late husband in a social media post after he was laid to rest.

“Lyosha, thank you for the 26 years of absolute happiness," Yulia Navalnaya said, using a shortened version of his first name in Russian. "Yes, even for the last three years of happiness. For your love, for always supporting me, for making me laugh even when you were in prison, for the fact that you always thought about me."

Navalnaya continued: "I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to make you happy for me and proud of me up there. I don’t know if I can handle it or not, but I will try."

"We will definitely meet one day. I have so many untold stories for you, and I have so many songs saved for you on my phone, stupid and funny, in general, to be honest, terrible songs, but they are about us, and I really wanted to let you listen to them. And I really wanted to watch you listen to them, laugh, and then hug me," she added.

"Love you forever. Rest in peace.”

The body of the Russian opposition leader has now been lowered into the ground of the Moscow cemetery, live pictures show.

Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" was played as the casket was lowered, followed by music from the movie "Terminator 2." Navalny's spokesperson said he considered it "the best film on earth."

Crowds who were unable to access the cemetery could be heard outside chanting, "Let us in to say goodbye!"

Navalny’s team has posted footage from a rooftop along the route between the church and the cemetery, showing the many mourners who have come to pay their respects. The crowd, which fills the street and stretches back some distance, is filmed chanting “Navalny!” in unison.

The images from Moscow today would be considered ordinary in the U.S., but are extraordinary in Putin's Russia.

Authorities harassed Navalny's family and supporters until the end, while the thousands gathered outside the church risked arrest to be there to lay the Kremlin foe to rest.

The coffin has now been taken out of the southern Moscow church and is heading to the nearby cemetery where Navalny will be buried.

Its exit was greeted with more chanting from crowds outside, including “Love is stronger than fear!” “No to the war!” “Russia will be free!” and repeated chants of Navalny's name.

A floral wreath passes through a metal detector at the Borisovo cemetery ahead of Navalny's burial in Moscow today, while an area was prepared around a gravesite ahead of the closely watched ceremony.

The body of the late Russian opposition leader was displayed in an open casket as relatives and friends paid their last respects at his funeral, in the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, in Moscow today.

Large crowds of mourners gathered outside the church ahead of the funeral service for Navalny in Moscow this morning.

The Kremlin, or at least those acting on the Kremlin’s behalf, spent the past few weeks attempting to derail the funeral, Navalny's team has said. Several Moscow churches declined to hold the service, they said, and they struggled to find a hearse willing to carry his body.

One venue finally did agree, the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, in the south of Moscow near where Navalny once lived.

The service is due to begin shortly and mourners will travel to the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery for the burial around 8 a.m. ET. The event is also being live-streamed.

Despite Navalny being a staunch critic of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the church where his funeral service will be held has donated to the Russian army and enthusiastically advertised its backing for the conflict. This is in line with the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has introduced a special prayer for Russian victory in Ukraine and expelled priests who pray instead for peace.

The Russian opposition leader's parents, Anatoly Navalny and Lyudmila Navalnaya, are attending the funeral after his mother fought to retrieve his body from authorities.

A handful of Russia-based Western diplomats are also at the funeral. Among them are U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy and French Ambassador Pierre Levy, pictured holding flowers outside the church.

A crowd of mourners chanted as the hearse carrying Navalny’s coffin arrived at the Moscow church this morning.

The hearse carrying Navalny's body has arrived at the church, where it was met by applause and repeated shouts of "Navalny! Navalny! Navalny!" from crowds gathered there.

More than 1,000 people have gathered outside the church, more than will be allowed in to see the coffin, his team says.

“Now we will need some time to prepare for the funeral service. Relatives will come in first,” Ivan Zhdanov, director of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, wrote on social media.

The more than 1,000 people who organizers say are attending today's funeral are taking an immense risk. The Kremlin told Russians this morning not to attend unauthorized gatherings that it said were ‘illegal.’

Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, is very unlikely to attend her husband's funeral because of the threat of arrest, since she herself has refused to be silenced.

Underscoring the danger is the uncertain fate of another couple. The funeral comes a day after Russian American citizen Ksenia Karelina lost her appeal against imprisonment. She is accused of treason for donating just $51 to a Ukrainian charity.

“She’s innocent. She is a normal person,’ her boyfriend, Chris Van Heeren, told NBC News from Los Angeles yesterday. He says those jailed for treason in Russia face terrible conditions. “They get to shower once a week, which is painful. They get a book once a week to read. They get porridge to eat.”

All the same, he says, she wrote him a love letter from prison. "She said, 'I’ve got a little window in my cell, and I can see the sun and I know that I look at the same sun as you’."

With not long to go until the funeral, more than 200,000 people are watching a live stream of the event posted by Navalny's team on YouTube.

Despite the threat of a police crackdown, encouragement from Navalny's team for mourners to pay their respects appears to have been heard.

“Come see Alexei Navalny off on his last journey if you are in Moscow,” Navalny’s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, wrote on social media before the event.

Around an hour before the funeral was due to begin, there were already 1,000 people outside the church in southern Moscow where Navalny's coffin will be taken, Volkov said on the YouTube live stream being broadcast by his team.

They were joined by a heavy police presence, including teams perched on roofs along the route between the church and the cemetery, a map of which Volkov posted on X.

He said there were so many people that, due to the church's limited capacity, not all of them would be allowed inside to pay their respects to the coffin.

Police have been on patrol since early this morning outside the church in Moscow where a farewell ceremony for Navalny is expected to be held.

Relatives and supporters of Navalny have gathered to bid farewell to the Russian opposition leader at his funeral today. Already, a long line of thousands of mourners was visible outside the church ahead of the service.

After delays in receiving his body after his death, and problems finding a venue for his funeral, Navalny’s team now says that the morgue has not yet released the Russian opposition leader's body at the agreed time on the day of his funeral.

“Relatives arrived at the morgue at 10 a.m. (2 a.m. ET), when Alexei’s body was supposed to be given to them,” his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on social media, but “the body has not yet been released.”

“The schedule has not changed yet, but there may be delays,” she added.

Navalny’s chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, said of the delay, “I have no understanding at all by now what these a------s are trying to achieve.”

Just hours before the funeral is scheduled to begin, Navalny's team says it has still been unable to find a hearse to carry his body because of threats against the drivers by "unknown people."

"At first we were not allowed to rent a funeral hall to say goodbye to Alexei," his spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on social media.

"Now, when just a funeral service is supposed to take place in the church, Ritual agents tell us that not a single hearse agrees to take the body there," she added, referring to Ritual, Russia's main funeral service. "Unknown people call all teams and threaten them not to take Alexei’s body anywhere."

Riot police officers assembled near the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows in Moscow this morning.

The Kremlin, or at least those acting on the Kremlin’s behalf, has been attempting to derail the funeral, Navalny's team has said, by blocking their preferred date because it clashed with Putin’s state of the nation address yesterday. 

Even then, several Moscow churches declined to hold the service, his team said, and still hours beforehand, they were unable to find a hearse willing to carry his body.

Navalny’s wife has blamed Putin for her husband’s death, alleging that he was poisoned on Putin’s orders with the nerve agent Novichok and that his body was held until traces of the poison had disappeared. The Kremlin has denied the accusation of poisoning.

Even after his death, “they abused his body and abused his mother,” Yulia Navalnaya said this week, in an apparent reference to claims by her mother-in-law, Lyudmila Navalnaya, 69, that officials had tried to blackmail her by insisting on a quiet, nonpublic funeral while holding the body for so long that it started to decompose.

The body was eventually returned last weekend.

The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is due to be held this morning, an event seen by many worldwide as representing a struggle between the country’s marginalized protest movement and President Vladimir Putin’s will to silence it.

Navalny, who died Feb. 16 aged 47 in an Arctic penal colony, was the most prominent dissenting voice in Putin’s Russia, where government critics are jailed or exiled, protest is effectively banned and the press is shackled. Navalny’s team say he died from poisoning ordered by Putin, which the Russian government denies.

Navalny’s funeral could become a flashpoint between mourners and police trying to quash any expression of anti-Putin dissent in his memory, according to Navalny’s family and team. Already, around 400 people have been arrested for laying flowers at Navalny’s memorials across Russia, the human rights group OVD-Info said.

“I am not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or the police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband,” Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a speech to the European Parliament this week.