Russian prisoner Alexei Navalny's ironic wakeup call: pro‑Putin pop song every morning

Kremlin critic and lawyer Alexei Navalny, aged 47, who incensed the Russian government by revealing instances of state corruption and expressing ambitions of leading a reformed Russia, is imprisoned roughly 37 miles from the Arctic Circle. According to the sentence, he's expected to remain incarcerated until his 74th birthday.

The outlook isn't promising. As referenced by the "Guardian," the surroundings aren't comfortable. Guards loyal to the regime are neither accommodating nor amicable. Navalny has previously voiced concerns regarding the lack of medical support and the harshness of the prison workers. However, it's not the environment or circumstances he finds most oppressive in his current situation.

As reported on Monday via social media platform X, by the prisoner himself, the daily morning routine for those he shares his incarceration with is the most troubling. Waking up appears to be quite distressing.

Every morning at dawn, the prison tannoy broadcasts the Russian national anthem. Immediately following this - and seemingly Navalny's most significant distress - is the playback of the pro-Putin pop song "I am Russian," performed by an artist known as Shaman.

The artist, whose real name is Yaroslav Dronov, gained recognition through his war-inspired patriotism. He rapidly became a fixture on state television, aiding Putin's re-election campaign for the forthcoming March presidential elections.

The 32-year-old singer, who epitomizes a sycophant, simulated a nuclear bomb detonation on stage during a state television broadcast concert in November. He simulated the event using a staged prop - a suitcase representing infamous Soviet-era dictatorial atomic equipment. Upon its simulated use, a firework display was set off on stage.

"I became aware of Shaman's fame while imprisoned, so I could neither see him perform nor listen to his music. Nevertheless, I learned that he had become Putin's lead singer and that his primary song was 'I am Russian'." Navalny wrote.

"I wanted to hear the song, but where could I listen to it in prison? Then, they transferred me to Yamal. And here, every day at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time, after the command: 'Get up!', we hear the Russian national anthem, immediately followed by 'I am Russian' by Shaman."

Narrating the irony, Navalny pointed out that he was once accused by state propaganda of "marching with Russian nationalists". Now, years later, in prison, each morning, an ultra-nationalist pop song is played for supposed educational purposes.

"Honestly, I'm still unsure about the meanings of post-irony and meta-irony. But if they're not applicable here, where would they be?" - Navalny commented humorously.