Funeral of Navalny to Be Held on Friday in Church in Moscow

The funeral of prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who died behind bars earlier in February, will take place next Friday in a church in southern Moscow, according to his close associates, Wednesday. Navalny's team wrote on social media, "Alexei's funeral will be held at a church... in Marino on March 1 at 14:00 (11:00 GMT)," inviting those who wish to attend to arrive "in advance." It was clarified that the late opposition leader will be buried in the nearby Borisov cemetery. Navalny's associates confirmed that finding a church for the funeral was not easy. His exiled ally, Ivan Gdанов, stated, "We started searching for a church and venue for March 1. Everywhere they refused to give us anything. In some places, we were told that it was prohibited." He added, "We do not care about the message. Alexei's body must be buried... To have a chance for farewell, it’s better to arrive in advance for the ceremony."