March 1, 2024, 9:50 a.m. ET
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's last photo: the picture that defines this moment
From CNN's Sebastian Shukla
Alexei Navalny's father and mother (left) are paid their respects by others at his funeral in Moscow on Friday.
AP
The last we saw of Alexei Navalny alive was him smiling and joking. The final image before his burial is more solemn. In accordance with Orthodox tradition, the bodies of Russian rebels are photographed in open coffins. The man who was once energetic and intense, both politically and physically, is now quiet and peaceful.
It's an unforgettable image, with candles illuminating the scene. Mr. Navalny's face appeared almost ghostly white amidst the pile of carnations that covered his chest. A mother and father sit next to the coffin, holding hands and saying goodbye to their son.
This is the story of Mr Navalny's mother, who 14 days earlier had flown above the Arctic Circle and across Russia's vast wilderness to persuade Russian authorities to allow the recovery of his body, which led to Mr Navalny's final days in exile in Siberia. It is the culmination of a quest that has traveled far and wide. .
In his coffin, Navalny is wearing a shirt, tie and waistcoat, unlike his prison attire, a reminder that he was once a prominent politician.
Navalny's lifeless face, haggard and depressed even before his death, represents the energy drained by the Kremlin and its remote penal colonies.
This is a photo that marks the moment of annihilation of political opposition in Russia.
