Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “Riots are the voices of the unheard”. As a country with a reputation for silencing dissidents of the government, this statement seems to be ringing true throughout Russia, a country amid an unnaturally tense political season. With a September election looming ahead, president Vladimir Putin is feeling the heat of the new “Russia Of The Future” political party, founded by the one of the Kremlin’s most public critics, Aleksei Navalny. After massive protests made their way through over 100 cities in Russia, the political and economic scene in Russia has been thrust onto the international stage. 

While Putin is a widely known name, Aleksei Navalny is probably less recognizable. When asking WFS students, Peter Connoly, ’23, said he “heard of the protests and Navalny off of social media”. Meanwhile, Drew Desmond, ’24, “did not know the situation”. They both were able to easily identify Vladimir Putin. The relationship between Navalny and Putin is a tense one, to say the least. Aleksei is arguably the Kremlin’s biggest domestic critic and thus has been silenced on Russia’s state-run media. In response, Nalvany has turned to the power of the internet to voice his concerns, in a way that captures a largely younger audience. His most recent exposé was sharing the details/existence of an alleged 1 billion dollar “palace” built by Vladimir Putin, paid entirely by bribes. His criticism hasn’t come without a cost though. The 44-year-old has been arrested over 10 times, including his arrest on January 17th, 2021 on a charge of embezzlement from back in 2014, a charge that the Kremlin’s critics view as phony. Mr. Navalny’s most recent arrest occurred immediately upon his return to Russian soil after a five month long hiatus in Germany, officially for violating his probation. The reason for Nalvany’s stint in Berlin? His poisoning on a trip to Siberia, carried out by Russian hitmen. He was treated at a hospital in Germany, after an international outcry for his safety.  When Putin was confronted about the assassination attempt, he brushed it off by insinuating it couldn’t be a Russian attempt on his life because “they would have finished the job”. While presently in prison, both Navalny and his associates have been releasing videos to rally Aleskei’s base, including the recent video that covers Putin’s alleged palace. Another notable video is one filmed by Navalny while in prison, saying he “has no intention of killing himself”, a smart move considering it makes any attempt on his life that much more difficult to cover up. 

After Nalvany’s arrest, there was massive public outrage in Russia, accumulating in protests in over 100 cities, with over 10,000 people showing up to the protest in Moscow. Around 3,000 people were detained across the protests, including major figures in Navalny’s camp. Across social media, it’s easy to find videos of protestors throwing snowballs at police or brawls between the two groups. Some similarities could certainly be drawn between other protests across the world and those in Russia today. Police brutality seems to be an ever-occurrent theme throughout these demonstrations. When asking Javier Ergueta, History and TOK Teacher, his thoughts on the protests he said, “Navalny’s courage is breathtaking. Five months after being poisoned by Putin’s goons, he boards a plane back to Russia, to confront them and Putin’s regime! Russians appreciate such gestures. In 1991 Boris Yeltsin stood up personally against mutineer tanks trying to halt the democratization of the Soviet Union, and shortly after, became the new leader of all Russia. Navalny was tried immediately upon landing, but yesterday, tens of thousands demonstrated in his support in over 100 Russian cities! The Kremlin doesn’t know quite how to respond. Navalny could be the spark that sets off a revolution. He’s given Russians a leader around whom to rally to oppose the regime.” 

And indeed, these protests and the Kremlin’s response give voice to a new wave of protests in Russia. These harsh, battered, but defiant voices are being heard both domestically and internationally. With the US ushering in a new Presidential administration, Joe Biden has already called for the release of Navalny saying he will not “roll over” to Russia “like my predecessor.” In response, the Kremlin has warned America against posing sanctions. Informally, this story also garnered social media attention, where it’s no difficult task to see protestors clashing with riot police. If riots are the voices of the unheard, the least that can be done is to hear their cry for change.