Alexei Navalny.

June 4, 1976, marked the birth of Alexei Navalny in Butyn, Moscow Oblast, then part of the Soviet Union. His parents were Lyudmila Navalnaya and Anatoly Navalny. He attended the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and later the Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation, studying law. He also participated in the Yale World Fellows program at Yale University.

In the 2000s, Navalny began his career as an opposition activist and filmmaker. His 2021 documentary Putin’s Palace: History of World’s Largest Bribe drew international attention. The 2022 film Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher, won an Academy Award and documented his poisoning and recovery. Navalny also directed The Case Is Solved. I Know Everyone Who Tried to Kill Me 2020 and Parazity 2020. He organized protests against corruption and served multiple prison terms. He survived a poisoning attempt in 2020 and continued his activism until his death in 2024.

Alexei Navalny and Yulia Navalnaya married in August 2000 and had two children: Darya Navalnaya and Zakhar Navalny. His brother Oleg Navalny also participated in his activism. Navalny loved the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991; its theme music played at his funeral.

Alexei Navalny’s courage in facing persecution defined his legacy as a Russian opposition leader. He received the Sakharov Prize in 2021 and the Boris Nemtsov Prize in 2024. His investigations, particularly the film Putin’s Palace, exposed corruption among Russian elites. Posthumously, his work continues to inspire activists. His opposition to authoritarianism and his death in prison remain central to his legacy.