Is widow Yulia Navalnaya the new face of Russian opposition?

WASHINGTON — The death — possible murder — of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent dissident, sent anti-Kremlin activism into disarray. Preparing to step into the void is his widow, Yulia Navalnaya.

Like her husband, Navalnaya is vibrant, eloquent and photogenic. In an emotional but measured nine-minute speech broadcast from a domestic setting on YouTube, the widow has already made her case and is emerging as a potent symbol.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the world’s most ruthless autocratic leaders. Opposition to him has never prospered, and opponents usually end up in prison or dead.

Navalnaya, Moscow-born and an economist by training, married Navalny in 2000, and the couple has a daughter, Daria, who reportedly attended California’s Stanford University, and a son, Zakhar.

Throughout Navalny’s bold and dramatic political career, his wife stayed largely in the background, shunning the spotlight and deferring to her husband. Her main mission, she said, was to support Alexei and protect the children from unkind prying eyes and potential dangers.

Still, Navalnaya, 47, was seen as her husband’s rock, an important source of his strength and determination. Their public shows of affection are rare among Russian politicians, who often sideline women.

One unforgettable public appearance was in a Russian courtroom in 2022. Navalny was in the prisoner’s cage. He gestured at Navalnaya, in the audience, forming a heart shape with his hands. It was one of the last times they saw each other in person.

Still reeling from the just-delivered news of her husband’s death, Navalnaya stunned and wowed an audience of world leaders with an impromptu speech at the annual Munich Security Conference last week. She received a standing ovation and was greeted by Vice President Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, representing the U.S. and offering their condolences.

Navalnaya squarely blamed Putin for Navalny’s death — a belief shared by many Western officials — and demanded the Russian president be brought to justice.

“There should be another person in my place, but this person was killed by Vladimir Putin,” she said in the later televised address. “Putin killed the father of my children, Putin took away the most precious thing I had, the closest and most beloved person — but Putin also took Navalny from you.”

She called on his followers to keep up the fight. And she called on European leaders to refuse to recognize upcoming presidential elections in Russia, where Putin is the virtually unchallenged candidate.

After her comments, Elon Musk’s social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, yanked her account. However, the company restored it later, saying its removal was a mistake.

Yulia Navalnaya is limited because she is working from exile and fears returning to Russia might result in a fate similar to her husband’s.

From politicians to militia leaders, many who cross Putin end up dead — often poisoned or blown up in airplanes or by car bombs. More than one oligarch who once allied with Putin and then had a disagreement with him ended up falling out of high-rise buildings.

Yulia Navalnaya is already winning accolades and admiration around the world. In Munich, she had a private one-on-one meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who was said to have come away impressed.

In her, there seems to be a natural speaker, who can express both emotion and plain facts. Whether it translates into action may be an insurmountable obstacle.

Until now, one of her most public appearances was at last year’s Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles, when the documentary “Navalny” won the statuette.

“My husband is in jail for telling the truth,” she said from the stage, where she appeared in a flowing red gown with her two children. “Alexei, I am dreaming for the day when you will be free.”