Alexei Navalny’s memoir, which he began working on in 2020, will be released this fall. “Patriot,” which publisher Alfred A. Knopf describes as the late Russian opposition leader’s “final letter to the world,” will be released on October 22.
Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a statement released Thursday by the publisher, “This book is a testament not only to Alexei’s life, but to his unwavering commitment to the fight against dictatorship—a fight he gave everything for, including his life. Through its pages, readers will come to know the man I loved deeply—a man of profound integrity and unyielding courage. Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire others to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter.”
Alexei Navalny’s Posthumous Memoir: A Chronicle of Defiance and Resilience
Alexei Navalny, 47, died in February while serving a 19-year prison sentence on extremism charges, which he saw as politically motivated. He was imprisoned upon returning from Germany in January 2021 and died in a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle.
According to Knopf, Navalny began working on the book in Germany and continued to write it in Russia, both inside and outside the prison.
“In vivid, page-turning detail, including never-before-seen correspondence from prison, Navalny recounts, among other things, his political career, the many attempts on his life, and the lives of the people closest to him, and the relentless campaign he and his team waged against an increasingly dictatorial regime,” Knopf’s announcement reads in part.
“Written with the passion, wit, candor, and bravery for which he was justly acclaimed, ‘Patriot’ is Navalny’s final letter to the world: a moving account of his last years spent in the most brutal prison on earth; a reminder of why the principles of individual freedom matter so deeply; and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.”