Opening of the memorial to Alexei Navalny in Helsinki

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the opening of the memorial to Alexei Navalny in Helsinki.

We gathered not only to unveil a memorial bench, but also to say once again: the memory of Alexei lives on. His courage, his words, and his faith in a free Russia continue to unite people.

If you are in Helsinki, please come to Tehtaankatu 1 to remember Alexei Navalny, bring flowers, or simply sit in silence.

“Alexei, if you are arrested and put in prison, or if the unthinkable happens and you are killed, what message would you leave for the Russian people?”

“My message, in case I am killed, is very simple: do not give up.”

“Do me a favour and answer this question in Russian, please.”

“Here, the obvious thing is simply this: do not give up. You must not, you cannot give up. If this [death] happens, it means that we are incredibly strong at that moment, since they decided to kill me. We must use this strength: not give up, remember that we are an enormous force, oppressed by these bad guys only because we cannot yet realize how strong we truly are. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So we must not do nothing.”

Photos by Valery Klepkin