Memoir to be published- Putin’s nemesis Navalny “I knew he would die in prison”

In February 2023, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a staunch critic of President Putin, tragically passed away in prison. France 24 recently reported that his posthumous memoir, titled “Patriot,” is set to be published on the 22nd. An excerpt from the memoir was shared by The New Yorker on the 11th, which included writing from Navalny’s prison diary as well as earlier entries, revealing his awareness of the possibility that he might die behind bars.

On March 22, 2022, Navalny wrote, “I will spend the rest of my life in prison, and I will die here. No one will say goodbye to me… All the anniversaries will be celebrated without me. I will never see my grandchildren again.”

He also reflected on the harsh realities of his imprisonment. In a diary entry dated July 1, 2022, he detailed his daily routine: waking up at 6 AM, breakfast at 6:20, and then work starting at 6:40. He described the conditions, saying, “While working, I have to sit on a stool lower than my knees and use a sewing machine for seven hours. After work, I sit on a wooden bench for hours, with a portrait of Putin hanging above me. This is called ‘disciplinary activity.'”

Navalny’s memoir “Patriot” will be published by Knopf, which plans to release a Russian edition as well.

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, expressed the emotional weight of Navalny’s writings, stating, “It is impossible to read Navalny’s prison diary without feeling anger at the tragedy he endured and his subsequent death.”

The final excerpt of “Patriot” was published by The New Yorker on January 17, where Navalny responded to questions from fellow inmates and guards about why he chose to return to Russia. He said, “I do not want to give up or betray my country. If your beliefs are meaningful, you must be ready to stand up for them and make sacrifices when necessary.”