Navalny praised for ‘epic’ funeral song choice as Putin critic buried

Alexei Navalny, the fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government who died in prison last month, was buried to music from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, with his spokeswoman quoted as saying the campaigner “thought the Terminator 2 was the best film in the whole world”.

In the scene in which the music features, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator lowers himself into a pool of molten lava to destroy a chip in his brain, his right hand giving the thumbs up before he perishes.

Navalny, 47, was imprisoned in a jail near the Artic Circle on charges many believe were politically motivated when he died, with the federal prison service claiming he felt unwell after a walk before losing consciousness.

An ambulance arrived with medics trying to recover him, they said, but he never recovered.

In 2020, before he was imprisoned, Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok, collapsing during a flight from Siberia to Moscow in August that year, and was treated in Germany.

He was then arrested upon his return to Russia.

TERMINATOR 2 - The Final Goodbye - John Connor and the Terminator - Arnold Schwarzenegger [HD]www.youtube.com

In an emotional tribute posted to Twitter/X, Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya wrote: “I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to make you up there happy for me and proud of me. I don’t know if I can handle it or not, but I will try.

“We will definitely meet one day. I have so many untold stories for you, and I have so many songs saved for you on my phone, stupid and funny, in general, to be honest, terrible songs, but they are about us, and I really wanted to let you listen to them laugh, and then hug me.

“Love you forever. Rest in peace.”

Navalny’s song choice has since been praised as “epic” by other X users:

Thousands of mourners defied a heavy riot police presence to pay their respects in Moscow, with crowds chanting Navalny’s name, “you weren’t afraid, neither are we” and “no to war” as the ceremony was carried out.

In a 2022, Navalny considered the possibility he may die as a result of his continued criticism of Putin and shared a message in an Oscar-winning documentary to people if that scenario were to happen.

He said: “Listen, I’ve got something very obvious to tell you. You’re not allowed to give up.

“If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utilize this power to not give up, to remember we are a huge power that is being oppressed by these bad dudes.

“We don’t realise how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good people to do nothing.

“So don’t be inactive.”

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