With the brutal death of Alexey Navalny, there’s a lot of pain, anger, and despair on the Internet. I’m talking about normal people, not moral monsters, scoundrels, and prostitutes — and people feel powerless. Many are crying not only over Alexey Navalny but also over the loss of hope: “Hope has died”, they write. But these words are a manifestation of self-pity — a quality that Alexey would least like to see in his compatriots.
And not for the sake of the words Navalny called upon people not to give up. Not for the cool pose he was showing everyone an example of true fearlessness and fortitude again and again while going in and out of the punishment cell.
He was encouraging his adherent — was laughing at his jailers, he joked and always smiled. He never slipped into cynicism, pathos, or vulgarity. He remained a human, a person, “my guy” proving “I could do it, and you can too.”
The worst thing we can do — all of us, who are shocked by Alexei’s death — is to stop hoping. We need to turn hope into a goal, and goals into reality. Yes, only a few are capable of self-sacrifice, as demonstrated by Navalny. From each according to his ability . . . But everyone, no matter where they are, can wipe away their tears, figure out what exactly they can do in their place, make a decision, and act to bring about change. Alexey has said more than once — in his videos recorded while free and in his posts from prison — that there are many ways, you can fight, the main thing is not to lose hope and faith in yourself, not to give up.
By dying, idealists become paragons for their contemporaries’ children. Navalny and Nemtsov are heroes: the way they lived will frighten thieves and slaves, and inspire generations of free people around the world. Russia will also change, perhaps not as quickly as Boris and Alexey dreamed, but it will change. And the grandchildren of idiots who are posting abominations in Z-publics will stroll along avenues and squares named after the very heroes their ancestors spread rot about. It’s hard to believe now, but it will happen — just as Nemtsov and Navalny dreamed.
This will happen. Let’s not drown the pain in a cocktail of tears, vodka, despair, and apathy. Ask yourself the question . . .
“What can I do if I don’t want my grandchildren to live in a country of lies and death?”
Depending on your place of residence, occupation, age, talent, and personal qualities, the answers will be different for different people. This is fine. It’s important that the question itself be asked first.
