“I don’t believe in death”

Six months before he died in an Arctic penal colony, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny wrote about his hopes for his homeland, his love of family and literature, and the maxims that shaped his thinking. “I believe Russia will be happy and free,” he said. “And I don’t believe in death.”

He shared his thoughts in response to a 13-item questionnaire sent under a pseudonym to political prisoners across Russia by Boris Akunin, the country’s most famous and long-defunct writer. Akunin published his compiled answers as an e-book on his website in October. This special excerpt is from the English translation edited by Joanne Turnbull and Nikolai Formozov and published in March.

Navalny’s death was officially confirmed Saturday morning. His spokesperson, Kira Yarmysh, posted on X that the dissident’s body had been transferred from the Arctic penal colony to a nearby town and demanded that the body be released to his family.

Mr. Navalny’s response is as follows.

Who are you? There are always complaints from prison authorities. “Hmm, you seem to be in a good mood today…” So I guess it goes something like this: I am a political prisoner who misses my family, job, and colleagues. , but one who keeps his spirits up. Of course I’m a reader too. I spend most of the day with a book in my hand.

what do you believe? In God and Science. We live in a non-deterministic universe and believe we have free will. I believe we are not alone in this universe. We believe that our deeds and actions will be evaluated. I believe in true love. I believe that Russia will be happy and free. And I don’t believe in death.

When making your most important decisions, which do you rely on: reason or intuition? There is no contradiction here. That’s a false alternative. Evolution designed us so that we don’t have to think long and hard when we see a snake in bed. Nor can you make instant decisions about how to build a snake-proof home.

There’s a great book on this called Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. Highly recommended.

What is most important in life? Continuing to be a good person and contributing to society.

What brings you the most joy? A simple family moment. It’s like getting in the car and going somewhere. One of us playfully starts singing and the rest join in. And I can’t stop until I’ve sung so many songs. And love and happiness overflow.

What is the saddest thing for you? What many people don’t think about, and what basic cause and effect relationships are not understood. Every time someone says to me something like, “Corruption won’t affect my life,” or “Those in power did all the stealing, but when new people come to power, the stealing stops.” It begins again.”

I think this. After billions of years of evolution, this person has the most amazing brain, so why doesn’t he use it?

What brings the greatest evil to humans and humanity? All that is needed for evil to triumph is the inaction of good people. It’s a phrase that many people have said, but I don’t know exactly who said it (I looked it up). Amazingly accurate. The hypocrisy of neutrality, “apoliticalism,” and cover-up for laziness, meanness, and meanness is the main reason why well-organized groups of thugs have ruled millions of people throughout human history. It is.

And the biggest benefit? You get caught up in a battle between good versus neutral.

What art form has the strongest influence on you? I love literature and I think I know a certain amount about it. I like movies, music, and architecture, but I don’t know much about them. As for the rest of the art, I’ll diplomatically say, “We’ll treat it with respect.”

Literature has more influence than any other art form. After all, it works by your own imagination. What could be stronger than that?

Do you have a favorite saying? I don’t just have a favorite saying. One of my favorite sayings is one that includes the word “maxim.” “Act so that the maxims of your conduct become universal rules of conduct.” This is one of Kant’s formulations of the moral law.

This is similar to the famous “Golden Rule” in the Bible: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Bible version is more merciful. I think Kant’s version has a stronger sense of responsibility, so I choose it.

It is very difficult to follow these rules, but you should try.

Of all the books you have read, what is the most important to you? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I was about 10 or 11 when I read this book. I found that books weren’t just boring and useful, they were also hard to put down and made me laugh on every page. So I started reading. I always feel so sorry for people who don’t read books. They must not have been lucky enough to have access to suitable books in their childhood.

Do you have any role models? There are and are so many brave, great, kind, and intelligent good people that to choose just one is to deprive yourself.

What does Russia mean to you today? It’s a place where everyone can understand each other and feel at home. A country where my language is spoken and my people live.

I love Russia as much as I always have, even in these dramatic times, because I was able to separate the country from the government.