How Alexei Navalny became Putin's greatest threat

Summary

On August 19, 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned while returning to Moscow, sparking a movement unprecedented in recent Russian history. Navalny, who has been a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and corruption in Russia, survived the attempt on his life and continued his opposition efforts from abroad. His investigations, which began in 2006 through blogging about corruption, have exposed large-scale fraud among state companies and top officials. Through innovative strategies, like Smart-Voting, Navalny has united and mobilized opposition against Putin’s regime. Despite being detained upon his return to Russia in 2021, Navalny’s influence and movement persist, presenting a sustained threat to Putin's government.

Highlights

• Alexei Navalny, a key opposition figure, was poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020, sparking global outcry. ✈️
• Navalny's use of social media and blogging to expose corruption has significantly challenged Putin’s state control. 💻
• The Smart-Voting strategy, initiated by Navalny, threatens the Kremlin by consolidating opposition votes against Kremlin-backed candidates. 🧠
• Despite his arrest upon returning to Russia, Navalny's movement remains active, indicating his lasting influence. 🚔
• Navalny’s public exposure of corruption and critique of Putin's allies has bolstered his supporter base across Russia. 🚨

Key Takeaways

• Alexei Navalny has become a pivotal figure in the Russian opposition, challenging Vladimir Putin's regime. 💪
• Navalny's ability to use the internet for campaigning and exposing corruption has made him a significant threat to Putin. 🌐
• Despite being poisoned and imprisoned, Navalny's spirit and efforts continue to rally Russians against corruption. 🔥
• Navalny's Smart-Voting strategy shows the potential for effective resistance by uniting votes and minimizing regime interference. 🗳️
• The Kremlin's attempts to silence Navalny reveal the potency of his influence and the regime's fear of losing power. 🕵️‍♂️

Overview

Alexei Navalny, a fearless political activist, embarked on his mission to expose the depth of corruption in Russia, making him a central figure in resistance against Vladimir Putin. Known for his savvy use of video and social media, Navalny bypassed state-controlled media to communicate directly with the people, revealing fraudulent schemes linked to oligarchs and government officials, and igniting widespread anger and calls for reform.

Navalny’s rise was bolstered by his innovative strategy known as Smart-Voting, aimed at undermining Putin’s political hold by strategically uniting opposition support. Despite facing numerous arrests and even surviving a poisoning attempt with a deadly nerve agent, he remained undeterred, continuing to inspire significant protests and maintaining a strong support base determined to challenge the status quo.

Even as Navalny endures imprisonment, his impact resonates throughout Russia and beyond. His audacious return to Russia, knowing arrest awaited him, underscores his commitment to his cause. His supporters, invigorated by his bravery and ongoing revelations about Kremlin corruption, continue to protest, sustaining a movement that could outlast his absence, signaling a potential shift in Russia’s political landscape.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Navalny's Campaign in Siberia and Poisoning Incident On August 19, 2020, Russian politician Alexei Navalny was in Siberia filming a campaign video. Although he wasn't running for office, he was encouraging voters to oust the ruling United Russia party led by President Vladimir Putin in the upcoming local and regional elections scheduled to occur in about three weeks.
• 01:00 - 02:00: The Aftermath of the Poisoning and Navalny's Role in the Opposition The chapter discusses the aftermath of Alexei Navalny's poisoning and his role in the Russian opposition.
• 02:00 - 04:00: Putin's Rise to Power and Control Over Russia The chapter discusses the attempted assassination of Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union. Despite the attack, Navalny survived and incited a significant movement against the Russian government, posing a substantial threat to Vladimir Putin's leadership. The chapter explores the impact of Navalny's survival and the subsequent movement on Putin's hold over Russia.
• 04:00 - 06:00: Corruption and Oligarchs Under Putin On December 31, 1999, Vladimir Putin became the President of Russia. At this time, Russia was transitioning from the Soviet Union, which had collapsed eight years prior, to the new Russian Federation and a democratic form of government. Putin's background as a spy in the Soviet KGB and his role as head of the Russian security service heavily influenced his governance approach as President.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Navalny's Anti-Corruption Investigations This chapter discusses Putin's control over Russia through centralization, aligning the country with KGB-like secrecy and insularity. By taking control over the media, Putin maximized his influence and power. This began with taking over independent media, where Police brought newsrooms under state control, which then expanded from federal television to regional television, and eventually to print newspapers. These actions underscore the consolidation of power under Putin's administration.
• 08:00 - 10:00: 2011 Protests and Navalny's Political Rise In 2011, protests erupted over the manipulation of Russian elections by Putin's regime, which restricted eligible candidates to those aligned with his party or those who were fake, as part of a strategy to fracture opposition support. Additionally, there were allegations of vote rigging. These actions contributed to the political rise of figures like Navalny, who opposed the regime's control.
• 10:00 - 12:00: Navalny's 2013 Moscow Mayoral Campaign and Challenges The chapter discusses the tough political landscape in Russia in 2013, highlighting how challenging it was to oppose President Putin or his party, United Russia, due to their extensive control over both central and local governments. It also addresses Putin's strategy of targeting Russia's oligarchs and their associates to eliminate potential dissent. In the early 2000s, a significant portion of Russia's wealth was in the hands of a small group of powerful men. Putin offered protection to those loyal to him, whereas those who opposed him faced severe consequences such as arrest on fabricated charges or suspicious deaths.
• 12:00 - 14:00: Navalny's Continued Opposition and Smart-Voting Strategy The chapter discusses the strategy commonly used in Russia to neutralize political opponents and critics by charging them with embezzlement. Several high-profile cases, including those of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Boris Berezovsky, and Nikolay Glushkov, are mentioned as examples of the judiciary being weaponized against opposition. It highlights how Putin has been able to consolidate power and protect himself by using the law to his advantage. The chapter also touches upon Navalny's continued opposition against Putin and his smart-voting strategy to challenge the existing political system.
• 14:00 - 16:00: Navalny's Arrest and Ongoing Influence This chapter titled 'Navalny's Arrest and Ongoing Influence' discusses the structural role of corruption within the Russian regime. Corruption is portrayed not as a mere inefficiency but as the core of the regime itself. It highlights that over $400 billion were lost to corruption in Russia from 2000 to 2008. Despite Putin's control over the media, Alexei Navalny, a young lawyer, surfaced as a key figure in unveiling and challenging this corruption.

How Alexei Navalny became Putin's greatest threat Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 On August 19, 2020, Russian politician, Alexei Navalny was shooting this campaign video. He was in Siberia. One of the many places where, in about 3 weeks, there would be local and regional elections. But he wasn’t running for office. He was urging people to vote out the ruling party, United Russia, led by the president, Vladimir Putin.
• 00:30 - 01:00 He’s made many videos like this before and they usually rack up millions of views. It’s this ability to reach people via the internet that has helped make Navalny the face of Russia's opposition movement. Soon after making his case in Siberia, he got on a plane bound for Moscow. But the plane was suddenly diverted to Omsk. Navalny had been poisoned. And collapsed on the plane.
• 01:00 - 01:30 An investigation later revealed that he had been poisoned with Novichok, a highly-toxic nerve agent, that was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. It was also used, likely by Russia in 2018 to attack Sergei Skirpal, a former spy. Navalny survived the assassination attempt and set off a movement unlike any in recent history. So how did he do it? And why is he such a big threat to Putin?
• 01:30 - 02:00 On December 31, 1999, Putin became the President of Russia. The Soviet Union had collapsed just 8 years earlier and the new Russian Federation was slowly transitioning to democracy. Previously, Putin had been a spy in the Soviet KGB and head of the Russian security service. Roles that shaped how he wanted to govern as President.
• 02:00 - 02:30 So, he was trying to remake Russia in the image of the KGB. Like if everything in the world could be as centralized, insular, and secretive as the KGB, it would work well. So in order to maximize his control, Putin surrounded himself with the most powerful elements in Russia. Starting with the media. Police were sent into Russia’s independent media companies, charging their owners, and bringing newsrooms under state control. After federal television, it went on to regional television and then, it went to print newspapers.
• 02:30 - 03:00 It was like a flesh eating machine. Whatever it could see that was functioning independently, it would gobble up next. This hid Putin’s actions from the public so he was able to go after another powerful element - Russia’s elections. His regime manipulated who could run for office. And that typically meant Putin’s party and a few fake candidates, sanctioned by the regime. This was designed to splinter the opposition vote. And on top of that, The vote counting is rigged.
• 03:00 - 03:30 Meaning that it was nearly impossible to run against Putin or his party. And that United Russia had control of the central and local governments all across the country. But politicians weren’t the only threat to Putin. He also went after Russia's oligarchs and their prominent friends to weed out some powerful critics. In the early 2000s, most of Russia’s wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few, very powerful men. Putin protected those that swore loyalty to him. And those who didn't were either arrested on trumped up charges or mysteriously killed.
• 03:30 - 04:00 So, the most common way to get rid of somebody. Is to bring them up on embezzlement charges. Former Russian oil tycoon, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been found guilty of embezzlement. Russian tycoon, Boris Berezovsky, convicted of embezzlement. A former Russian business man, he was accused of embezzling money, Nikolay Glushkov, the cause of death is still unexplained. That's how the judiciary is weaponized. With the law on his side, within a decade, Putin insulated himself with the most powerful
• 04:00 - 04:30 elements on all sides. And it was all held together by corruption. Corruption is a structural feature of the regime. It's not an inefficiency of the regime. It's not a drag on the regime. It's the core of the regime. According to a report, over $400 billion were lost to corruption in Russia between 2000 and 2008. But because Putin controlled the media, much of it was hidden. Until a young lawyer named Alexei Navalny found a way to change that.
• 04:30 - 05:00 In 2006, Navalny started a blog where he wrote about corruption. In 2010, he wrote that at least $4 billion was stolen out of the state-owned transportation company, Transneft. And he had proof. He had bought stock in the company and was able to access internal documents that plainly showed how government money was funneled into offshore accounts owned by Transneft officials. And this was just the beginning. Navalny soon published investigations on corrupt oil schemes, land deals, and fraud at state-owned
• 05:00 - 05:30 banks by Russian oligarchs and politicians. By posting straight to his blog, Navalny was circumventing state media to reveal corruption and expose Putin’s regime in a way that Russians had never seen before. All the while making a name for himself. Like he thought that corruption was something knowable. That that you could learn about it, you could systematize it. And, again, you could take it seriously. And I said, you know what? I think we now have an actual politician in this country.
• 05:30 - 06:00 In 2011, huge protests erupted when Putin’s party won a majority in parliament despite reports of voter fraud. It was the largest wave of demonstrations Putin’s regime had ever faced. And Navalny was one of the main organizers. He was building on his investigations by speaking out publicly against corruption.
• 06:00 - 06:30 State television ignored the protests even as the police arrested more than 1,000 people and went after the organizers. One of the other ones was jailed, several were forced into exile, one was murdered, Boris Nemstov. And Navalny was the last guy standing. Over time, he developed a talent for organizing protests and gained a following. Then in 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow. And it stirred some controversy. He had participated in Russian nationalist marches in the past.
• 06:30 - 07:00 And used ethnic slurs when referring to Russian minorities. But people were still drawn to the main message of his campaign. State TV didn’t give his campaign any airtime, so he relied on rallies, online crowdsourcing, and an army of volunteers to spread the word. But, just as he was gaining momentum, police arrested him on trumped-up charges of embezzlement
• 07:00 - 07:30 and sentenced him to 5 years in jail. His supporters flooded the streets in protest. Navalny was eventually released on bail and didn't win the election. But, he went on to finish second place. He continued to expose corruption through Youtube videos. Like this one, in 2017, on the extreme wealth of Putin's ally, Dmitri Medvedev.
• 07:30 - 08:00 It reached millions and sparked another round of protests. At the same time, Navalny was running for office again. This time, against Putin for President. Predictably, the regime struck back and disqualified him based on the previous embezzlement charges. Further revealing just how rigged Russia’s laws and elections were. But in 2020, Navalny found a way to take on the whole electoral system. He called it Smart-Voting. Instead of letting the opposition vote splinter among several dummy candidates, Navalny identified
• 08:00 - 08:30 one candidate and urged people to vote for the same one, even if they were backed by Putin's regime. It takes an incredible amount of public trust and charisma to get people to unify behind a meaningless candidate. But, its true, if you get enough people to do it, it actually can add up to meaningful resistance. And it terrifies the Kremlin. During that time, Navalny was the second most popular politician in all of Russia according
• 08:30 - 09:00 to some polls. While Putin’s favorability ratings were slipping because of a struggling economy. That made Navalny a threat. And it explains why he was poisoned, possibly more than once. Once he was very weirdly ill and once his wife, Yulia, was very weirdly ill. They were looking for an opportunity, a place and a time and it finally seemed like it was almost perfect. But I think they did expect that they would be rid of him by now and they're not.
• 09:00 - 09:30 After the Siberia attack, Navalny recovered in a German hospital where he miraculously survived. A few months later, he went back to his investigations. In December 2020, he tricked the secret agent who poisoned him into revealing how he did it. Then, in January, he returned to Russia knowing he would be arrested. Police met him at the airport, and charged him with violating the parole from his 2014
• 09:30 - 10:00 embezzlement case. While detained, his team released another video, this one attacking Putin directly. It’s been viewed over 100 million times. His supporters flooded the streets in over 100 cities across Russia. A few days later, Navalny was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison, sparking even
• 10:00 - 10:30 more protests. Police have arrested more than 5,000 people while state media has downplayed it. Even though Navalny ended up in prison again, his movement continued to play out on the streets. By exposing Putin's regime for a decade, Navalny might have found a way to build a movement that could outlast his freedom.