Alexei Navalny's final farewell: Moscow schools lockdown amid funeral

The ceremony for Navalny took place on a Friday, with a scheduled start at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. Vladimir Putin's government took extensive measures to ensure that the final farewell to this prominent opposition leader was not transformed into a political demonstration. The family was allowed to receive the body on the condition that the funeral would not be publicized.

Nevertheless, the private ceremony saw not only the attendance of numerous politicians and diplomats but also thousands of ordinary individuals who wished to bid Navalny farewell for the last time.

In an extraordinary move, the authorities conveyed a message to parents of children attending schools in the Marino district, where Navalny's farewell was held.

As the independent Russian TV channel Dozhd reported, some schools planned an additional lesson themed around World Civil Defense Day. However, some parents viewed this as a thin pretext, especially since such lessons had not been previously organized. A more straightforward message was eventually sent out.

One school chose to openly advise parents that "to ensure the safety of the children," they were to stay in school until 11:15 AM Eastern Time.

"If your child needs to leave school before 11:15 AM, please let us know, and ideally, come to pick up your child personally," relayed a message from a school principal, as reported by the independent news portal Meduza.

Alexei Navalny was a significant Russian political figure and a leading voice of the opposition. Arrested in January 2021, he was sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony in March 2022 and received an additional 19-year sentence in August 2023. On February 16, 2024, the news of the politician's death was released to the world. He was 47 years old.