I don’t know how he does it. But even in the most isolated, most frozen, most notoriously restrictive of Russia’s Siberian prison camps, Alexei Navalny somehow manages to get word out to his team of supporters. And on New Year’s Eve, he once more reached out with words of cheer and hope to the outside world:

“‘I miss you terribly’ is a kind of incorrect construction from the point of view of the Russian language. It’s better to say: ‘I miss you a lot’ or ‘I miss you so much.’ But from my point of view, it is more accurate and correct. I miss my family terribly. Yulia, my children, my parents, my brother. I miss my friends, colleagues, our office, and my work. I miss you all terribly.”

He went on to say that he doesn’t have “feelings of loneliness, abandonment, or isolation at all. My mood is great and quite Christmassy. But there is no substitute for normal human communication in all its forms: from jokes at the New Year’s table to correspondence in Telegram and comments on Instagram and Twitter. Happy New Year to everyone. Arctic hugs and polar greetings to all. Love you all.” [Radina Gigova and Darya Tarasova, CNN, Dec. 31, 2023.]

Remarkable words — under the most abysmal conditions — from a remarkable man.

In return, I send to you, Alexei Navalny — and to all of your fellow political HOSTAGES being held in Russian prisons on fictitious charges — my wish that this be the last holiday season that any of you will have to spend in a Russian prison. The governments of the United States and other free nations are working on your behalf. Your families, friends and colleagues continue to do the same. You have not been . . . you will not be . . . forgotten.

С новым годом!

Brendochka
1/1/24