Aleksei Navalny, the late Russian anti-corruption campaigner and opposition leader, began writing a memoir four years ago that will go on sale later this year in what his publisher says is his "final letter to the world."
Navalny, 47, died on February 16 in unclear circumstances in an Arctic prison where he was serving a 19-year term on extremism and other charges widely seen as politically motivated.
His publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, said on April 11 that the memoir, which the Kremlin critic began writing in 2020 while convalescing in Germany after being poisoned, would be available from October 22.
Knopf said that Navalny continued work on the book from prison after he returned to Russia in January 2021, when he was immediately arrested at the airport.
Navalny's widow, Yulia, said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, that the book will be released in several languages, including Russian.
"This is not at all how I imagined Aleksei would write his biography. I thought that we would be about 80 years old, he would sit at the computer by the open window and type. And I would walk around and grumble that the grandchildren will arrive soon, and he is doing nonsense," she said.
"Sharing his story will not only honor his memory but also inspire other to stand up for what is right and to never lose sight of the values that truly matter," she added.
Navalnaya, who is now living outside Russia, vowed to continue her late husband's fight for "a wonderful Russia of the future" after the outspoken Kremlin critic died on February 16 in one of Russia's most notorious prisons in the Arctic.
SEE ALSO: Navalny's Widow Urges EU To Investigate Money Flows Tied To 'Bloody Mobster' PutinNavalnaya and her husband's associates, along with several Western governments, have blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Kremlin critic's death.
The Kremlin has denied any role or responsibility in Navalny's death.