Alexei Navalny Biography: Wife, Height, Age, Parents, Siblings, Net Worth, Children, Cause of Death

Alexei Navalny was a Lawyer, Politician, and Anti-Corruption Activist who rose to international prominence as one of Russia’s most vocal and persistent critics of President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny became widely known for exposing large-scale corruption within Russia’s government and business sectors through his investigative work, including videos and blog posts.

His political activism and his daring criticisms of the Kremlin positioned him as the face of opposition against Putin’s rule.

Profile

• Full name: Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny
• Date of birth: June 4, 1976
• Age (as of 2024): 48 years (died in 2024)
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Butyn, Russia
• Nationality: Russian
• Profession: Lawyer, Politician, Anti-Corruption Activist
• Parents: Anatoly Navalny (father), Lyudmila Navalnaya (mother)
• Siblings: Oleg Navalny (brother)
• Spouse: Yulia Navalnaya
• Children: Daria Navalnaya, Zahar Navalny
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Russian Orthodox (Christianity)
• Ethnicity: Russian
• Net worth: $2 million

Early Life and Education

Alexei Navalny was born on June 4, 1976, in Butyn, Russia. He grew up in a military family, with his father being a Soviet army officer, which meant Navalny spent much of his childhood moving between various garrison towns near Moscow.

His mother, Lyudmila, worked as an economist. He spent his summers with relatives in Ukraine, particularly near Chornobyl, where he witnessed the Soviet government’s response to the nuclear disaster firsthand.

This experience likely contributed to his distrust of government transparency, later fueling his anti-corruption work.

Navalny pursued his education in Moscow, where he studied law at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, graduating in 1998.

He later went on to earn an economics degree from the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation in 2001.

His education in law and economics gave him a strong foundation for his later activism, allowing him to navigate and challenge the intricacies of Russia’s legal and financial systems.

Personal Life

Navalny married Yulia Navalnaya in 2000. The couple met while working in Moscow, and they have two children: Daria and Zahar.

Daria has studied at Stanford University in the United States, while Zahar is younger and has remained largely out of the public eye.

Navalny’s wife, Yulia, has been a constant figure in his political life, often advocating for him during his imprisonments and speaking on his behalf.

The couple’s strong relationship has been a significant aspect of Navalny’s personal and public persona.

Despite multiple imprisonments, attacks, and challenges, Yulia and their children have remained supportive and actively involved in his political struggle.

Career

Navalny began his political career by joining the liberal Yabloko party in 2000, but his rise to prominence came when he shifted focus to anti-corruption activism.

In 2008, he launched a shareholder activism campaign, buying small shares in state-owned companies and using his position as a shareholder to challenge corruption at the highest levels publicly.

His blog and later YouTube channel, where he released investigative videos, became major platforms for exposing the corruption of Russia’s elites.

Navalny’s investigations, such as his 2015 video Chaika, which accused Russia’s Prosecutor General Yury Chaika of criminal ties, gained millions of views and further boosted his visibility.

He also coined the phrase “party of crooks and thieves” to describe United Russia, Putin’s political party, which became a rallying cry for opposition groups.

Navalny ran for Moscow mayor in 2013, securing 27% of the vote in a heavily manipulated election widely criticized for its unfair practices.

Despite being barred from running for president in 2018 due to criminal convictions seen as politically motivated, Navalny continued to organize and inspire protests against Putin’s regime.

Awards

• Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, European Parliament (2021)
• Time 100 Most Influential People (multiple appearances)

Net Worth

At the time of his death, Alexei Navalny’s net worth was around $2 million. His financial resources were primarily devoted to his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and related activities.

However, the Kremlin often targeted his organization, and its assets were frozen multiple times.

Death

Alexei Navalny died on February 16, 2024, while serving a prison sentence in a remote Arctic colony.

He had been imprisoned since his arrest in 2021 after returning to Russia following treatment for poisoning in Germany. Navalny’s death was officially attributed to a sudden illness.

However, his supporters and human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, citing potential mistreatment and the harsh conditions in the penal colony where he was held.

Controversy

Navalny’s political career was steeped in controversy due to his consistent and fearless opposition to Vladimir Putin’s government.

His 2011 branding of United Russia as the “party of crooks and thieves” was a bold accusation that resonated with many Russians but also led to numerous criminal investigations into Navalny himself.

In 2013, he was convicted of embezzlement in what was widely seen as a politically motivated trial to prevent his rise in politics.

The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that Navalny had been denied a fair trial, further tarnishing the Russian legal system’s credibility.

In 2020, Navalny survived an assassination attempt involving the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. He was flown to Germany for treatment, where tests confirmed the poisoning, and Navalny publicly accused Putin of orchestrating the attack, an accusation the Kremlin denied.

Despite his recovery, his return to Russia in January 2021 led to immediate arrest and further charges, igniting protests across Russia.

Navalny’s foundation was labeled as an extremist organization in 2021, and many of his associates were forced to flee the country to avoid persecution.

Navalny’s imprisonment and subsequent hunger strikes, combined with continued harassment of his supporters, became a global symbol of Putin’s tightening grip on power and the dangerous environment for political dissent in Russia.

His death in custody, after suffering health complications, further sparked outrage and allegations of foul play by human rights groups.

Social Media

• Instagram: @navalny
• Twitter: @navalny

Filmography

• Navalny (2022 documentary)