Alexei Navalny, vocal opponent of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, survived a poisoning attempt and was jailed for his role in coordinating a large anti-government protest in 2021. Image: Evgeny Feldman, via Wikimedia Commons
The anti-corruption activist confirmed his arrival to a remote arctic penal colony with humour, referring to himself as a “Santa Claus”.
Alexei Navalny, vocal opponent of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, survived a poisoning attempt and was jailed for his role in coordinating a large anti-government protest in 2021.
In August, Navalny’s sentence was extended to 19 years, and it was ruled that he would be transferred to a prison with harsher conditions.
Today, he confirmed on X that he had arrived in the “Polar Wolf” prison, a former gulag located in Kharp, which rests at a latitude above the Arctic Circle.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m totally relieved that I’ve finally made it,” wrote Navalny.
“I’m still in a good mood, as befits a Santa Claus,” he wrote, referring to the thick sheepskin clothing issued to him and the beard he grew over approximately 20 days of travel.
Temperatures in Kharp are likely to drop below -26C in the coming days, locked in the almost perpetual darkness of the Arctic winter.
“I can see the night, then the evening, and then the night again”, wrote Navalny.
Navalny has been labelled an “extremist” for his role in establishing and leading the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
While experts do not consider Navalny to be a viable political opponent to Putin, his work exposing corruption in the Kremlin has reached an audience of millions and carries a lot of influence, especially among Russia’s young people.
Ivan Zhdanov, manager of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, believed that it was the intent of authorities to isolate Navalny.
“Right from the start it was clear that the authorities want to isolate Alexei, especially ahead of the elections,” said Zhdanov.
The US State Department wrote that it was “deeply concerned for Mr Navalny’s wellbeing and the conditions of his unjust detention”.
Navalny wrote that he was transferred to the prison via a “strange route” and didn’t expect anyone to find him “before mid-January”.
“Unfortunately, there are no reindeer, but there are huge fluffy and very beautiful shepherd dogs.”
