A memorial bench honouring Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been unveiled in central Helsinki, within sight of the Russian Embassy.<\/p>\n
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The monument was revealed in Neitsytpuisto Park on Thursday, the day Navalny would have turned 50. The site sits beside the Russian diplomatic compound on Tehtaankatu in the Finnish capital.<\/p>\n
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The project was organised by Initiative for Resistance and Dialogues, a Finland-based association of Russian activists opposed to the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n
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“This monument not only honours Navalny but also shows that many Russian-speaking people want to live in peace, freedom and democracy,” said Nikita Kirillov, chair of the organisation.<\/p>\n
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The memorial takes the form of a red bench. Its side panels are shaped like the Cyrillic letter “\u041d”, equivalent to the Latin letter “N” and the first letter of Navalny’s surname in Russian.<\/p>\n
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A plaque attached to the bench carries one of Navalny’s best-known statements: “If I am murdered, do not give up.”<\/p>\n
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The inscription appears alongside information in Finnish, Swedish, Russian and English.<\/p>\n
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According to organisers, the location was chosen following discussions with the City of Helsinki. The bench was positioned so that it remains visible from the Russian Embassy.<\/p>\n
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The ceremony was attended by Vladislav Romantsov, chief executive of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the organisation founded by Navalny.<\/p>\n
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Romantsov said the Russian authorities had long sought to avoid mentioning Navalny by name.<\/p>\n
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“We want to give a face to a free Russia,” he said during the event, referring to the symbolism of placing the memorial beside the embassy.<\/p>\n
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Finnish politicians also joined the ceremony. Social Democratic MP Kimmo Kiljunen and former Green MEP and minister Heidi Hautala delivered speeches in support of the initiative.<\/p>\n
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Navalny survived an assassination attempt in 2020 after being poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent. He received treatment in Germany before returning to Russia, where he was arrested and imprisoned.<\/p>\n
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He died in February 2024 in a penal colony in northern Siberia.<\/p>\n
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