Yulia Borisovna Navalnaya ( rus, Юлия Борисовна Навальная, , ˈjulija nɐˈvalʲnɐja; ; born 24 July 1976) is a Russian public figure, economist and the wife of the Russian opposition leader
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption act ...
. She has been described in media as the "
First Lady" of the
Russian opposition
Opposition to the government of President Vladimir Putin in Russia can be divided between the parliamentary opposition parties in the State Duma and the various non-systemic opposition organizations. While the former are largely viewed as bei ...
.
Biography
Early years
Navalnaya was born Yulia Borisovna Abrosimova on 24 July 1976 in Moscow,
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, in the family of scientist Boris Aleksandrovich Abrosimov (1952—1996). Her mother worked for the Ministry of Light Industry; her parents divorced when Navalnaya was in fifth grade, and her mother married a second time, to an employee of the
USSR State Planning Committee. In 2020, journalist
Oleg Kashin
Oleg Vladimirovich Kashin (russian: Оле́г Влади́мирович Ка́шин; born 17 June 1980) is a Russian journalist and writer known for his political articles.
Early life
Oleg Vladimirovich Kashin was born 17 June 1980 in Ka ...
said that Navalnaya's father is the currently living Boris Borisovich Abrosimov, the secretary of the
Russian embassy in Great Britain, associated with the special services, and her aunt is Elena Borisovna Abrosimova, one of the authors of the
Russian constitution
The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of gov ...
. Navalny, in response to this, published a death certificate for his father-in-law, dated 1996.
Navalnaya graduated from the Faculty of International Economic Relations of the
Plekhanov Russian Economic Academy, later did an internship abroad, studied in
graduate school
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
,
and worked for some time in a Moscow banks.
In the summer of 1998, while on vacation in Turkey, Navalnaya met Alexei Navalny, a lawyer, also a resident of Moscow. In 2000, she and Navalny got married, and she later gave birth to two childrendaughter Daria (2001) and son Zakhar (2008). She helped her husband's parents in their business related to
basket weaving
Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
.
After 2007, Navalnaya did not officially work anywhere, calling herself "the main one in matters of everyday life and raising children".
In 2000, Navalnaya, together with her husband, joined the
Yabloko
The Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko (RUDP Yabloko) (russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко», Rossíyskaya obyedinyónnaya demokratícheskaya pártiya "Y ...
party,
which she left in May 2011.
Involvement in Alexei Navalny's political career
After 2007, Alexei Navalny gained fame in Russia as a blogger and opposition politician. Navalnaya became the first secretary and assistant to her husband. The family's life became noticeably more public, so that Navalnaya was in the spotlight as the "first lady of the Russian opposition".
Observers note that she never tried to position herself as an independent figure: Navalnaya always behaves like a devoted wife and companion ("the
Decembrist
The Decembrist Revolt ( ru , Восстание декабристов, translit = Vosstaniye dekabristov , translation = Uprising of the Decembrists) took place in Russia on , during the interregnum following the sudden death of Emperor Al ...
's wife"), ready for harsh statements and decisive actions if her husband needs it, but not directly related to politics. She spoke at a number of rallies; she called the head of the
National Guard of Russia
The National Guard of the Russian Federation (russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации , translit = Federal'naya sluzhba voysk natsional'noy gvard ...
Viktor Zolotov, who in September 2018 challenged Alexei Navalny to a "duel", as a "thief, coward and impudent bandit".
Navalnaya attracted close public attention in the late summer and early fall of 2020, when her husband was urgently hospitalized in
Omsk, Russia on suspicion of poisoning. She demanded that Navalny be released to Germany for treatment, and even turned directly to Russian President
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
. After German experts confirmed
Navalny's poisoning, Russian physician
Leonid Roshal
Leonid Mikhailovich Roshal (born April 27, 1933 in Livny) is a noted pediatrician from Moscow, Russia, expert for the World Health Organization, and chairman of International Charity Fund to Help Children in Disasters and Wars.
Biography
Roshal ...
said that no poisonous substance was found in Navalny's samples in Russia and suggested creating a Russian-German team on this matter. Navalnaya accused him of acting "not as a doctor, but as the voice of the state." She followed her husband to Berlin, was next to him at the
Charité hospital, and Navalny later posted a message "Yulia, you saved me". ''
Novaya Gazeta'' and its audience named Navalnaya its 2020 Hero of the Year. Key European media outlets closely followed her activity and quoted her posts on social networks.
In January 2021, Navalnaya returned to Russia with her husband. After Navalny was detained at the border control, she made a statement that the arrest and the closure of the airport in
Vnukovo were a manifestation of the Russian authorities' fear of Navalny. "Alexei said that he is not afraid", she said. "— And I'm not afraid either. And I urge you all not to be afraid." Later, Navalnaya accused the
security officials of "persecut
ng eras the wife of an
enemy of the people
The term enemy of the people or enemy of the nation, is a designation for the political or class opponents of the subgroup in power within a larger group. The term implies that by opposing the ruling subgroup, the "enemies" in question are ac ...
." She wrote on Instagram: "The
Year of '37 has come, and we did not notice." On 21 January, Navalnaya announced that she would go attend the
2021 Russian protests to demand the release of her husband. On 23 January, she was detained, but released the same evening.
Possible political future
In 2015, Navalnaya was ranked 67th in the top hundred most influential women in Russia by
Echo of Moscow
Echo of Moscow (russian: links=no, Эхо Москвы, translit=Ekho Moskvy) was a 24/7 commercial Russian radio station based in Moscow. It broadcast in many Russian cities, some of the former Soviet republics (through partnerships with local r ...
. After Alexei Navalny received a
suspended sentence, the opinion was expressed that Navalnaya could nominate herself for the presidency instead of him. According to Russian public figure
Ksenia Sobchak
Ksenia Anatolyevna Sobchak (russian: Ксения Анатольевна Собчак, BGN/PCGN: ''Kseniya Anatol'yevna Sobchak'', GOST: ''Ksenija Anatolevna Sobčak'', ; born 5 November 1981) is a Russian public figure, TV anchor, journalist, ...
, in 2018 she offered this option to Navalny, but he rejected it saying "votes are not handed over".
In September 2020, after the poisoning of Navalny, opinions began to appear that Navalnaya is now beginning to play an independent political role and may become the "Russian
Tsikhanouskaya" — the leader of the entire opposition. Political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said that Navalnaya's role has changed: "From the wife of a politician, she is herself becoming a politician"; "she has charisma and charm, and can easily replace her husband if necessary".
Political strategist Abbas Gallyamov compared Navalnaya to
Corazon Aquino, the wife of the main opposition leader in the Philippines who opposed the regime of the dictator that ruled for twenty years. There are also opinions that such a turn of events is unlikely.
In January 2021, the pro-Kremlin channel
Tsargrad TV
Tsargrad TV (Russian: Царьград ТВ) is a Russian television channel owned by Konstantin Malofeev. It was named after Tsargrad, the old Slavic name for Constantinople. He hired former Fox News producer John "Jack" Hanick to help him l ...
threatened to publish intimate files of Alexei Navalny unless Navalnaya promised "not to become Tsikhanouskaya in Russia" and "not to play political games".
Russian writer
Dmitry Bykov
Dmitry Lvovich Bykov ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Львович Быков, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ˈlʲvovʲɪdʑ ˈbɨkəf, a=Dmitriy L'vovich Bykov.ru.vorb.oga; born 20 December 1967) is a Russian writer, poet, literary critic and journalist.< ...
said that Navalnaya reminds him of the heroine of
Lyudmila Petrushevskaya
Lyudmila Stefanovna Petrushevskaya (russian: Людмила Стефановна Петрушевская; born 26 May 1938) is a Russian writer, novelist and playwright. She began her career writing and putting on plays, which were often cen ...
: she "faces circumstances stronger than her, but some miracle helps her to defeat the world's evil."
References
External links
Yulia Navalnaya's blogon the website of the radio station
Echo of Moscow
Echo of Moscow (russian: links=no, Эхо Москвы, translit=Ekho Moskvy) was a 24/7 commercial Russian radio station based in Moscow. It broadcast in many Russian cities, some of the former Soviet republics (through partnerships with local r ...
(since 2018).
* — speech at a rally on Sakharov Avenue on September 6, 2013.
* — interview on channel vDud, October 5, 2020.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Navalnaya, Yulia
1976 births
Living people
Alexei Navalny
Russian activists against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics alumni
Russian activists
Economists from Moscow
Russian prisoners and detainees
Russian women economists