When Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony last Friday, Russia lost its most visible foe of Vladimir Putin's government. Other dissidents say they'll keep fighting.
Politician Boris Nadezhdin is a Ukraine war critic, who was barred from running in next month's presidential election.
Russians stood in line by the thousands in the cold to sign petitions for him to run for president.
When Nadezhdin gained momentum, the electoral commission said he had too many invalid signatures to qualify. He lost an appeal of that ruling last week.
The 60-year-old legislator has been active in local politics for decades. He appears on Russian talk shows to argue a liberal point of view against the war in Ukraine and in favor of engagement with the West.
Even though he will not appear on next month's presidential ballot, Nadezhdin plans to keep trying to change the Russian system from within.
"I see no other way to change the politics and the power in Russia," he said. "I understand that elections now [are] not very free and fair, but other ways to change the power [are] much worse."
Boris Nadezhdin spoke to Morning Edition's A Martínez on Tuesday about dissent in Russia after the death of Navalny.
The interview was edited for length and clarity.
Q&A:
A Martínez: What was your reaction to the death of Alexei Navalny?
Boris Nadezhdin: It was during an interview [with] some media. When I was [told] that Navalny died, I even [had] no words to say. And I stopped the interview.
It was [a] very big shock for me. He was and he is the symbol of Russian opposition. And of course it's [a] difficult and dangerous job to be in opposition. I understand all the risks . I think Alexei Navalny was a very strong critic of Putin personally. I suppose this was the main reason for his problems with [the] Russian system.
Martínez: I've heard you say that you don't criticize Vladimir Putin personally, that you just criticize his policies or his decisions. But isn't that criticizing Putin, when you criticize what he's done?
Nadezhdin: Yes, I never criticize Putin personally. I criticize only his decisions, for more than 20 years, by the way. But I [am] still alive, and I am not in prison now.
Maybe one reason is I never criticize Putin, but maybe another reason [is] because Alexei Navalny – he is young. And I'm from the generation of modern Russian leaders, and I worked with many key figures.
Martínez: You have said that you are not in support of the war that Vladimir Putin is waging against Ukraine, but what other policies or decisions do you disagree with Vladimir Putin on?
Nadezhdin: I am sure that the conflict in Ukraine was a dramatic, fatal mistake of Putin. And the influence of this mistake will be very long and very bad for Russia. But for the quarter of a century that Putin [has been] in power, he destroyed the key institutions of [the] modern state in Russia. We have no independent court. We have no independent parliament. We have no free media. We have no free and fair elections. And then we spent a lot of money for military tasks, but we spent less and less money for education, less and less money for healthcare.
Martínez: Do you think the attention that you've gotten lately might be dangerous for you?
Nadezhdin: We have the Russian proverb, "If you are afraid of wolves, you should not go to the forest."
Martínez: So you still have hope, then, for Russia's future?
Nadezhdin: I have to do my job. For 30 years, I [have been] in Russian politics. And for 20 years, I [have been] in opposition. I am 60 years old now. I think I have maybe ten or 15 years, and I'll try to do my best. My aim is that Russia should be [a] peaceful and free country, and I am absolutely sure that it's quite possible to achieve in ten or 15 years.
Martínez: How likely, do you think, the people in Russia will demand change?
Nadezhdin: The key point is the understanding of young people in these long lines of people, staying [in] a deep freeze sometimes, to support me, to give the signatures. The people [were] very young. The young people [are] the future of [the] country. And the speeches of Putin, about Ukraine, about history ... are not understandable for young people, absolutely. And so [the] politics of Putin has no future at all.
Transcript
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
When Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison, Russia lost its most visible foe of Vladimir Putin's government. Other dissidents say they'll keep fighting. Liberal politician Boris Nadezhdin is a Ukraine war critic. He was barred from running in next month's presidential election, despite a petition drive that had Russians standing in line in the bitter cold to add their signatures. I spoke with Nadezhdin after he lost an appeal that concluded too many of his signatures were invalid, and I asked him for his reaction to the death of Navalny.
BORIS NADEZHDIN: It was during an interview to some media when it was said that Navalny has died and I even have no words what to say. And I stopped the interview. It was very big shock for me, of course. He was and he is the symbol of Russian opposition. And, of course, it's difficult and dangerous job to be in that position. I understand all the risk. I think Alexei Navalny was a very strong critic of Putin personally. I suppose this was the main reason of his problems with Russian system.
MARTÍNEZ: I've heard you say that you don't criticize Vladimir Putin personally, that you just criticize his policies or his decisions. But isn't that criticizing Putin when you criticize what he's done?
NADEZHDIN: Yes, I never criticize Putin personally. I criticize only his decisions, for more than 20 years, by the way. But I still alive, and I am not in prison now. Maybe one reason is I never criticize Putin, but maybe other reason, because Alexei Navalny is young and I'm from the generation of modern Russian leaders, and I worked with many key figures.
MARTÍNEZ: You have said that you are not in support of the war that Vladimir Putin is waging against Ukraine, but what other policies or decisions do you disagree with Vladimir Putin on?
NADEZHDIN: I am sure that the conflict in Ukraine, you know, it was a dramatic, the fatal mistake of Putin, and the influence of this mistake will be very long and very bad for Russia. But for the quarter of a century that Putin is in power, he destroyed the key institutions of modern state in Russia. We have no independent courts. We have no independent parliament. We have no free media. We have no free and fair elections. And then we spend a lot of money for military tasks, but we spend less and less money for education, less and less money for health care.
MARTÍNEZ: You mentioned how Vladimir Putin has not allowed for free and fair elections in Russia. So then why try to run as you have attempted to?
NADEZHDIN: I see no other way to change the politics and to change the power in Russia. I understand that elections now is not very free and fair, but other ways to change the power is much worse.
MARTÍNEZ: Do you think the attention that you've gotten lately might be dangerous for you?
NADEZHDIN: We have the Russian proverb, if you afraid of wolves, you should not go to the forest. Did you understand me?
MARTÍNEZ: Yes. I understood what you meant.
NADEZHDIN: OK.
MARTÍNEZ: So you still have hope, then, for Russia's future. You have hope for your future.
NADEZHDIN: I have to do my job. For 30 years, I'm in Russian politics, and for 20 years I'm in a position. I understand that I have no more 30 years because I'm 60 years old now. I think I have maybe 10 or 15 years, and I'll try to do my best. My aim is that Russia should be peaceful and free country, and I'm absolutely sure that it's quite possible to achieve in this distance, like 10 or 15 years.
MARTÍNEZ: How likely do you think the people in Russia will demand change?
NADEZHDIN: The key point is the understanding of young people. In these long lines of people staying on a deep freeze sometimes to support me, to give the signatures, the people was very young. The young people is the future of country, and the speeches of Putin about Ukraine, about the history - the speeches is not understandable for young people, absolutely. And so this politics of Putin has no future at all.
MARTÍNEZ: That is Boris Nadezhdin. Boris, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.
NADEZHDIN: OK, bye. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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