Sylvie Goldner, 21’ 

Who after getting poisoned by Vladimir Putin decides to return to Russia? Alexei Navalny. Alexei Navalny is perhaps the most courageous individual of the 21st century. Navalny is the leader of the anti-corruption movement against Putin. Putin is suspected to be the richest individual in the world with a net worth of over 200 billion dollars (to put this in perspective, Jeff Bezos’ net worth is 182 billion); however, the wealth Putin has accrued is through the fraudulent seizure of million-dollar businesses and taxpayers’ money. Sergei Pugachev, a former banker in Russia, shared in an interview with the Guardian, "Everything that belongs to the territory of the Russian Federation Putin considers to be his.” While Putin’s unlawful and immoral actions are blatant, he has created an environment of terror for Russian citizens where speaking out can easily result in imprisonment or death. 

Despite the dozens of individuals who turned their backs to Putin and were killed, Alexei Navalny has attacked Putin head-on, becoming the voice of the Russian people. Navalny has led the opposition movement through utilizing social media where he has gained millions of followers on platforms where he has revealed Putin’s sinful path to power and continued acts of oppression. Navalny’s crusade against injustice does not end there. He has organized numerous demonstrations against the president’s corruption, and he even tried to run for president himself -- but due to being illegitimately convicted he was unable to officially run. As Navalny tarnished Putin’s reputation, his following solely grew. Putin witnessed Navalny’s growing power and feeling threatened he sent a team to poison Navalny in August 2020. Navalny surprisingly survived after being sent to a hospital in Berlin, Germany. Instead of ending his crusade against Putin and the United Russian party there, which most individuals would have done after being poisoned, Navalny did the unthinkable: he returned to Russia. Yet, before returning to Russia, he created a film to expose the corruption of Putin and the individuals who have benefitted from alliances with him. 

On January 19th, Navalny released the film Putin’s Palace. History of the world’s largest bribes. In this film, Navalny sheds light on a mega-palace Putin built for himself on an isolated island. The opulent palace cost over a billion dollars to build and money is still being poured into its development today. The palace is decorated in expensive Italian furniture and decked out in marble-covered rooms. The outrageousness of the palace escalates when Navalny gives a virtual tour of the house which consists of a hookah room, an underground hockey rink, a lavish movie theater, and to top it all off a huge casino -- meanwhile, gambling is illegal throughout most of Russia. Navalny presents overbearing evidence that proves the palace belongs to Putin. Further, he explains how it was built using taxpayers’ money that was supposed to go toward medical relief. 

At the end of the film, Navalny speaks to all Russian viewers, sharing: “We have reached the point where it is no longer a group of people who rob the state, but the state itself has turned into an instrument of theft.” The chasm of crime that has shaped the Putin administration has created a black hole. This black hole has sucked in individuals who choose to abandon their morals and stick by Putin to gain wealth. Navalny, knowing that this black hole will continue to expand and consume more Russian lives and dollars, sacrificed his life by returning to Russia on January 17th.  On his return, Navalny was unlawfully arrested and sent to Matrosskaya Tishina, a prison in Moscow where he sits today. However, Navalny knew this was a possibility and returned as a martyr with the hope of sparking a rebellion. This is exhibited when in the film Navalny makes a final call to all Russian citizens, “Our future is in our hands. Do not be silent. Don’t agree to obey the feasting villains.” Now as Navalny sits in prison, the world is watching to see if his call will be heard. In the meantime, the looming question remains: is it even possible for the Russian citizens to finally reclaim Russia and dismantle Putin’s Palace or is Putin’s grasp on power too strong? Only time will tell. 

To watch Alexei Navalny’s powerful film for yourself, you can copy and paste this link into your web browser and watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ipAnwilMncI or you can search up Putin's Palace. History of world's largest bribe and it is the clip that was released by Алексей Навальный.