Hundreds gather at tributes to Navalny in cities around Europe

People gather around at a makeshift memorial to pay tribute to the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Barcelona on March 1, 2024. Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest on March 1, 2024 in a Moscow cemetery where thousands of mourners had gathered, two weeks after he died in an Arctic prison. (Photo by PAU BARRENA / AFP)

Paris, France — Admirers of Alexei Navalny staged tributes in cities around Europe as the Russian opposition leader was laid to rest in a cemetery in Moscow.

In Berlin, several hundred people gathered in front of the Russian embassy, leaving flowers, lighting candles and placing photos of Navalny. Many were in tears.

READ: Navalny’s parents bury their son as thousands chant his name

Olga, a 24-year-old student who did not want to give her full name, added her flowers to the hundreds of floral tributes.

“I’ve been in Berlin for five years,” she said. “I left Russia because I didn’t agree with the politics there.”

She remembered that when she first came across Navalny and how “the propaganda” dismissed him as a simple blogger.

“I didn’t agree with everything he said… but he woke me up to politics,” she added.

It was clear, now, that “no will do the work in our place, that we have to try harder”, she said.

There were similar scenes in other German cities, including Muenster, in the west.

As people mourned in Berlin, an extract of a Navalny interview was playing, with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” playing in the background.

People light candles at a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Zagreb, on March 1, 2024, the day of Navalny’s funeral in Russia. Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest on March 1, 2024 in a Moscow cemetery where thousands of mourners had gathered, two weeks after he died in an Arctic prison. (Photo by DAMIR SENCAR / AFP)

‘Navalny represented freedom’ 

The same song was playing at a ceremony in London attended by around 300 people.

Here too there were floral tributes and messages praising Navalny and denouncing the Kremlin, and many mourners had tears in their eyes.

Among the photos of Navalny was a message asking: “Who’s next?”

READ: ‘Paid with his life’: World reacts to Navalny’s death

Anna, a 48-year-old Anglo-Russian, had brought her 11-year-old daughter to the vigil.

“I want her to know what Navalny did for all of us,” she said. “Navalny represented freedom and hope for Russia.”

She too declined to give her full name, saying she had family in Russia.

Living in “the free world”, attending the ceremony was the least she could do, she said, praising the courage of the mourners in Russia despite warnings from the Kremlin.

“The people who went there are heroes.”

Pavel Tolmachev, a 17-year-old student in London since 2021, said: “I came here to find some support among the people sharing my values.”

“He represented Russia’s future, real democratic values,” he said.

People lay flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny outside the former Russian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland on March 1, 2024. Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was laid to rest on March 1, 2024 in a Moscow cemetery where thousands of mourners had gathered, two weeks after he died in an Arctic prison. (Photo by Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT

‘We won’t give up’

In Paris, dozens of mourners stood silently in the pouring rain near a war monument at the Trocadero esplanade, across the river from the Eiffel Tower.

Fresh flowers were laid next to pictures of Navalny at a makeshift memorial at the monument.

Some of the placards at the site read: “Thank you” and “We won’t give up”.

“Russia lost hope but Navalny will live on in people’s hearts,” said Nadezhda, a 38-year-old choreographer.

“So many people turned up (in Moscow) today. They are not afraid. I don’t agree that Russians are slaves and Ukrainians are free. If the regime falls people will quicky adapt.”

She declined to give her full name for security reasons, saying she still travelled to Russia.

“For me, Navalny meant freedom and hope for a better future,” said Alexandra, who had brought a bouquet of white tulips to the vigil.

“There is still hope. It is very important to keep hoping,” she said, also declining to give her full name.

Hundreds also gathered in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, at an improvised memorial near the Russian embassy.

“For me, he is a hero,” said 34-year-old designer Olga Zavarina. “We will carry on the fight for his dream.”

“Russia will be free”, read one placard; “Heroes do not die”, read another.

There were similar ceremonies at other cities including the Armenian capital Yerevan, the Croatian capital Zagreb, and Barcelona in Spain.