Saint_Petersburg_rally_2012-02-25_(Navalny)

Courageously challenging authoritarian rule, Navalny faced repeated imprisonment and persecution for exposing corruption and advocating for a freer Russia.

Alexei Navalny

Russian Opposition Leader, Voice Against Corruption

Alexei Navalny
(1976–2024)

Alexei Anatolievich Navalny was born on June 4, 1976, in Butyn, Russia. A lawyer and activist, he emerged as the most prominent opposition leader to Vladimir Putin’s regime, challenging corruption and authoritarianism in modern Russia. His courage, even in the face of imprisonment and death, made him a symbol of resistance to tyranny.

Navalny rose to prominence in the late 2000s by exposing corruption within Russia’s ruling elite. Through blogs, YouTube videos, and later the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), he revealed staggering abuses of power by government officials and oligarchs. His investigations reached millions of ordinary Russians and earned him both admiration and persecution.

He became a leading figure in organizing protests against election fraud, authoritarianism, and economic inequality. His charisma and ability to connect with young people turned him into the face of the Russian opposition. Despite repeated arrests, harassment, and physical attacks, Navalny refused to be silenced.

In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent, an assassination attempt widely attributed to Russian state agents. After recovering in Germany, he returned to Russia in 2021, knowing he would be imprisoned. His arrest sparked international outrage, and he continued his activism from prison until his death in 2024 under suspicious circumstances.

Navalny’s life underscored the risks of speaking truth to power in an authoritarian system. He inspired a generation of Russians to demand accountability, transparency, and democracy.

Alexei Navalny belongs in the Good Trouble Makers Hall of Fame because he epitomized Good Trouble in its rawest form: confronting corruption and oppression at the cost of his freedom and life. His defiance ensures that the call for justice in Russia will not be silenced.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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Alexei Navalny
Courageously challenging authoritarian rule, Navalny faced repeated imprisonment and persecution for exposing corruption and advocating for a freer Russia.
Harriet Tubman
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