Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner, featuring a book about Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader who died in prison today. The episode originally aired in March 2022.
Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of the world media. His immediate detention set the stage for an explosive showdown with Vladimir Putin.
In his book, Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future, Morvan Lallouet (along with co-authors Ben Noble and Jan Matti Dollbaum) give shape to this divisive character, examining the contradictions of a man who is the second most important political figure in Russia, even when behind bars. As Lallouet says: in order to understand modern Russia, you need to understand Alexei Navalny.
Morvan Lallouet is a PhD candidate in comparative politics at the University of Kent, currently writing a dissertation on Navalny, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
