Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison under mysterious circumstances, was laid to rest in a cemetery near his childhood home in Moscow as tens of thousands of supporters defiantly risked reprisal from the authorities as police kept them from joining in the services.
Relatives and close associates were allowed to be present at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God for a brief funeral ceremony for President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic on March 1 before the burial at the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery.
Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said the music from the final scene of the film Terminator 2 -- Navalny's favorite movie -- was played at the funeral, as was Frank Sinatra's song My Way.
Photos of Navalny's open casket appeared on social media. They showed his mother and father sitting near the casket, a carpet of red and white roses covering Navalny's body from the shoulders down. Dozens of others, including clergy members, stood behind.
The coffin was then carried out of the church and loaded into a hearse. Many people threw flowers at the vehicle as it drove to the cemetery. Some mourners broke down metal fences to get closer to the vehicle but there were no signs of clashes with police amid the chants "Russia will be free," "No to war," and "Putin is a murderer."
Thousands made the 2.4-kilometer trip to the cemetery, where some were allowed to see the burial site after Navalny's coffin had been lowered into the ground.
The U.S. ambassador to Moscow and several other Western diplomats attended the funeral.
"Aleksei Navalny's work was dedicated to sharing a vision of a better future for Russia and all Russians. And ultimately, he gave his life for his patriotic service. For many Russians, he remains a symbol of what Russia could and should be," the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a post on Telegram.
Ivan Zhdanov, a self-exiled associate of Navalny wrote his tribute on X, formerly Twitter.
"Goodbye my friend. 4.6.1976 – 16.2.2024 Killed by Putin," Zhdanov said.
Ahead of the service, people chanted Navalny's name as lines snaking through the streets around the church grew from dozens, to hundreds, to thousands, to tens of thousands. When his body arrived at the church, the chants stopped for several minutes as the crowd began to applaud.
After Navalny's casket was driven away, some vented their anger toward Putin, whom Navalny's widow and many Western countries -- including the United States -- have blamed for the Kremlin critic's death.
"You were not afraid, and we are not afraid," Navalny's team said in a post on Telegram that was echoed by some in the crowd.
Navalny's widow, Yulia, who lives outside of Russia for security reasons, did not attend the service. But she posted an emotional letter and video on Instagram paying tribute to her husband, saying he made her laugh, even when he was imprisoned.
"I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try my best to make you up there happy for me and proud of me. I don't know if I'll manage it or not, but I will try," she said, alluding to her pledge to continue her husband's work to bring democracy and freedom to Russia.
"The burial today is not marking an end. It marks the fact that nothing ended, it is a continuation of something that the Kremlin understands is not just an ordinary farewell," self-exiled Russian politician Leonid Gozman told Current Time.
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Crowd Chants Outside Navalny Funeral: 'You Were Not Afraid And We Are Not Afraid!'
Gozman said Navalny's death could be compared to that of U.S. civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in that their legacies and impact would live on and fuel the fight for civil rights.
Ahead of the ceremony, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a warning through reporters during a conference call that any unsanctioned gatherings in support of Navalny would be considered as violations of the law.
He also said the Kremlin had no assessment of Navalny as a politician and nothing to say to Navalny's family.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement or responsibility for Navalny's death.
More than 67 people were detained at rallies in memory of Navalny in 16 cities, according to the human rights portal OVD-Info.
In Novosibirsk, police detained at least 18 people, according to Coalition Novosibirsk 2020 and Sibirmedia. Among those detained were an independent City Council deputy and an assistant to another independent deputy.
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Russians Overcome Fear At Emotional, Defiant Funeral For Navalny
In Tomsk, police cordoned off the monument to the repressed -- the Stone of Sorrow. Journalists and people who brought flowers to the monument were taken away by the police, who then removed the flowers.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the world leaders who commented on the courage of the Russians who attended Navalny's funeral.
"Aleksei Navalny paid for his fight for democracy and freedom with his life," Scholz wrote on X.
"After his death, courageous Russians are carrying on his legacy: Many of them were at the funeral today and took a big risk -- for freedom."
Macron said: "It took a lot of courage to go pay tribute to Aleksei Navalny. Thousands of Russians found it within themselves.
This is his legacy."