Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Alexei Navalny
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Alexei Navalny made an impact.
Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny was a prominent Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist. He founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in 2011 to investigate and expose corruption within the Russian government. Navalny gained international recognition for his activism, including being designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and receiving the Sakharov Prize. He was considered a political prisoner, facing numerous arrests and convictions widely viewed as politically motivated. He was a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, and his work significantly impacted Russian politics.
1979: Reference to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
In February 2022, Alexei Navalny compared Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics to the Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, describing both events as distractions.
1991: Reference to Ukraine's Borders
On 20 February 2023, Alexei Navalny called for an end to the occupation of Ukraine, and recognition of Ukraine's borders as they were established in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
1998: Worked as Corporate Lawyer
From 1998 onward, Alexei Navalny worked as a corporate lawyer for various Russian companies, gaining experience in the legal and business sectors.
2000: Joined the Yabloko Party
In 2000, Alexei Navalny joined the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko, motivated by a new law that raised the electoral threshold for State Duma elections.
2001: Listed as Member of Yabloko Party
In 2001, Alexei Navalny was officially listed as a member of the Yabloko party, solidifying his involvement in the political organization.
2002: Elected to Regional Council of Moscow Yabloko
In 2002, Alexei Navalny was elected to the regional council of the Moscow branch of Yabloko, marking a step in his political career within the party.
2003: Headed Moscow Subdivision of Yabloko's Election Campaign
In 2003, Alexei Navalny headed the Moscow subdivision of Yabloko's election campaign for the parliamentary election held in December, indicating his growing role within the party.
April 2004: Chief of Staff of Moscow Yabloko Branch
In April 2004, Alexei Navalny became the Chief of Staff of the Moscow branch of Yabloko, a position he held until February 2007.
August 2005: Admitted to Social Council of Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow
In August 2005, Alexei Navalny was admitted to the Social Council of the Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow, prior to the Moscow City Duma election that year.
2006: Member of the Federal Council of Yabloko Party
From 2006 to 2007, Alexei Navalny was a member of the Federal Council of the Yabloko party, giving him a role in the party's central decision-making body.
2006: Navalny Participates in "Russian March"
In 2006, Alexei Navalny participated in the "Russian march", an event uniting various Russian nationalist groups.
February 2007: End of Term as Chief of Staff of Moscow Yabloko Branch
In February 2007, Alexei Navalny's tenure as Chief of Staff of the Moscow branch of Yabloko concluded.
December 2007: Expelled from Yabloko Party
In December 2007, Alexei Navalny was expelled from the Yabloko party due to his nationalist views and participation in the Russian March, following a proposal to reform the party after poor election results.
2007: Co-founding of NAROD and Anti-Immigration Videos
In 2007, Alexei Navalny co-founded the National Russian Liberation Movement (NAROD) and released anti-immigration videos.
2008: Initial Support for Russo-Georgian War
In 2008, Alexei Navalny initially supported the Russo-Georgian War and made controversial statements about Georgians, which he later apologized for.
2008: Navalny Becomes Activist Shareholder in Oil and Gas Companies
In 2008, Alexei Navalny invested 300,000 rubles to become an activist shareholder in five major Russian oil and gas companies, including Rosneft and Gazprom, seeking to increase the transparency of their financial assets.
2008: Oleg Navalny Offers Services to Yves Rocher Vostok
In 2008, Oleg Navalny offered Yves Rocher Vostok to accredit Glavpodpiska with delivering duties, and a contract was signed on August 5.
2009: Became an Advocate in Kirov Oblast
In 2009, Alexei Navalny became an advocate and a member of advocate's chamber (bar association) of Kirov Oblast (registration number 43/547), marking a step in his legal career.
April 2010: Finance Magazine Prize
On 22 April 2010, Alexei Navalny received the Finance magazine prize for protecting the rights of minority shareholders.
November 2010: Navalny Publishes Confidential Transneft Documents
In November 2010, Alexei Navalny published confidential documents related to Transneft's auditing, alleging that approximately US$4 billion was stolen by the company's leaders during the construction of the Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline.
2010: Became an Advocate in Moscow
In 2010, Alexei Navalny ceased to be a member of the advocate's chamber of Kirov Oblast due to his move to Moscow, where he then became a member of advocate's chamber of Moscow (registration number 77/9991).
February 2011: Navalny Calls United Russia "Party of Crooks and Thieves"
In February 2011, Alexei Navalny referred to the United Russia party as a "party of crooks and thieves" during an interview, a phrase that gained popularity among the opposition.
May 2011: Navalny Launches RosYama Project
In May 2011, Navalny launched RosYama, a project enabling individuals to report potholes and monitor government responses to these complaints.
2011: Navalny Identifies as a Nationalist Democrat
In 2011, Alexei Navalny declared himself a "nationalist democrat" and co-organized the "Russian march".
2011: Foundation of Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK)
In 2011, Alexei Navalny founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organization dedicated to investigating and exposing corruption among Russian government officials.
2011: FP Top 100 Global Thinkers
In 2011, Foreign Policy magazine named Alexei Navalny to the FP Top 100 Global Thinkers for his role in "shaping the new world of government transparency".
2011: Parliamentary elections
In 2011, during the parliamentary elections the parties received the second, third, fourth, and fifth highest results.
February 2012: Navalny Alleges Misspending of Federal Funds in Chechnya
In February 2012, Alexei Navalny concluded that Russian federal money allocated to Ramzan Kadyrov's Chechen Interior Ministry was being spent "in a totally shadowy and fraudulent way."
June 2012: Announcement of New Political Party Based on E-Democracy
On June 26, 2012, it was announced that Navalny's comrades would establish a new political party based on e-democracy, though Navalny did not plan to participate in this project at the time.
December 2012: Expressed Support of The People's Alliance Party
On December 15, 2012, Navalny expressed his support of The People's Alliance party, stating "The People's Alliance is my party", but refused to join it due to the criminal cases against him.
2012: Recognition by Foreign Policy and Time Magazine
In 2012, Alexei Navalny was again named in FP Top 100 Global Thinkers and also listed by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
April 2013: Documents Filed for Official Registration of The People's Alliance Party
On April 10, 2013, The People's Alliance party filed documents for official registration, marking a step towards becoming a recognized political entity.
May 2013: Moscow mayor argues for elected mayor
On May 30, 2013, the mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, argued that an elected mayor is an advantage for the city compared to an appointed one.
September 2013: Navalny Declared He Would Join The People's Alliance
Following the mayoral election, on September 15, 2013, Alexei Navalny declared that he would join and possibly head The People's Alliance party.
November 2013: Deprived of Advocate Status
In November 2013, following the judgment in the Kirovles case, Alexei Navalny was deprived of his advocate status, impacting his ability to practice law.
November 2013: Elected as Leader of The People's Alliance Party
On November 17, 2013, Alexei Navalny was elected as the leader of The People's Alliance party, solidifying his role in the organization.
2013: Suspended Sentence for Embezzlement and Moscow Mayoral Election
In 2013, Alexei Navalny received a suspended sentence for embezzlement, a case widely seen as politically motivated. Despite this, he ran in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election, securing second place with 27.2% of the vote.
2013: Prospect Magazine Ranking
In 2013, Alexei Navalny was ranked No. 48 among "world thinkers" in an online poll by Prospect magazine.
2013: Navalny's Stance on Immigration after Moscow Riots
In 2013, following ethnic riots in Moscow, Alexei Navalny expressed sympathy for the anti-immigration movement and commented on ethnic tensions. Later expressed the need to educate nationalists and solve immigration through democratic means.
January 2014: Party files for registration, registration suspended
In January 2014, Navalny's party filed registration documents for the second time, but on January 2014, the registration was suspended due to Russian laws prohibiting two parties from sharing a name.
February 2014: Party renamed and registered
In February 2014, Navalny's party changed its name to "Progress Party" on February 8th, and on February 25th, 2014, the party was registered, requiring it to register regional branches within six months.
March 2014: Navalny Urges Sanctions After Crimea Annexation
In March 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Alexei Navalny called for further sanctions against individuals linked to Putin and proposed his own list.
September 2014: Party declares regional branch registration
On September 26, 2014, Navalny's party declared it had registered 43 regional branches. However, an unnamed source said registrations completed after the six-month term would not be taken into consideration.
October 2014: Suggestion for New Crimean Referendum
In October 2014, Alexei Navalny suggested that the future of Crimea should be determined by a new, fair referendum.
November 2014: Offer of co-chairmanship
In November 2014, Navalny was offered a position as the fourth co-chairman of RPR-PARNAS.
February 2015: Party convention held, preparations for 2016 elections announced
In February 2015, Navalny stated at the party convention that the party was preparing for the 2016 elections and would maintain its activity across Russia, including Crimea.
February 2015: Nemtsov assassination, coalition project
On February 27, 2015, Boris Nemtsov was assassinated. Prior to his assassination, Nemtsov worked on a project of a coalition, in which Navalny and Khodorkovsky would become co-chairmen of RPR-PARNAS.
April 2015: Party initiates a coalition of democratic parties, deprived of registration
On April 17, 2015, Navalny's party initiated a coalition of democratic parties. On April 28, 2015, the party was deprived of registration by the Ministry of Justice, which stated the party had not registered the required number of regional branches within six months after the official registration.
July 2015: Kasyanov elected leader of PARNAS
In July 2015, Kasyanov was elected as the only leader of RPR-PARNAS, and the party was renamed to just PARNAS. He expressed interest in re-establishing co-chairmanship later, possibly including Navalny.
2015: Prize of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience
In 2015, Alexei and Oleg Navalny were awarded the "Prize of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience" for their courage and struggle for democratic values in Russia.
September 2016: Scheduled State Duma elections
The State Duma elections were scheduled for September 2016. The candidates RPR-PARNAS would appoint were to be chosen via primary elections.
December 2016: Navalny announces presidential bid
On December 13, 2016, Navalny announced his entry into the presidential race.
2016: Opposition to Russian Intervention in Syria
In 2016, Alexei Navalny spoke out against the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, emphasizing internal problems in Russia.
2016: Planned election participation
Navalny planned for the party to participate in the 2016 elections, but candidates may be removed from the elections.
2016: Deemphasis of Immigration Statements
Since 2016, Alexei Navalny has deemphasized his past statements on immigration.
March 2017: Navalny Accuses Dmitry Medvedev of Corruption and Organizes Anti-Corruption Rallies
In March 2017, Navalny published an investigation accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of corruption and organized anti-corruption rallies across Russia on March 26. He was later fined and jailed for organizing an illegal protest and resisting arrest on March 27.
June 2017: Time's List of Most Influential People on the Internet
In June 2017, Alexei Navalny was included in Time's list of the World's 25 Most Influential People on the Internet.
December 2017: "Politician of the Year 2017" by Vedomosti
In December 2017, Alexei Navalny was named "Politician of the Year 2017" by Vedomosti.
2017: Continued Advocacy for Transnistrian Independence
In 2017, Alexei Navalny reiterated his stance from 2008 that Russia should recognize the independence of Transnistria.
2017: Support for Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage
In 2017, Leonid Volkov, Navalny's chief of staff, stated that Navalny's team supports the legalization of same-sex marriage.
August 2018: Navalny Accuses Viktor Zolotov of Stealing from National Guard Contracts
In August 2018, Alexei Navalny alleged that Viktor Zolotov stole at least US$29 million from procurement contracts for the National Guard of Russia.
2018: Most viable contender
According to Freedom House and The Economist, Navalny was the most viable contender to Vladimir Putin in the 2018 election.
2018: Criticism of Putin After Orthodox Church of Ukraine Establishment
In 2018, following the establishment of the autonomous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Alexei Navalny criticized Putin, blaming him for damaging the "Russian World."
July 2019: Arrest, Hospitalization, and Smart Voting Project
In July 2019, Navalny was arrested for ten days, then for 30 days. On the evening of July 28, he was hospitalized with severe damage to his eyes and skin, diagnosed with an "allergy", although this diagnosis was disputed. On July 29, 2019, Navalny was discharged from hospital and taken back to prison. In response, he initiated the Smart Voting project.
2019: "Politician of the Year 2019" by Vedomosti Readers
In 2019, Alexei Navalny was named "Politician of the Year 2019" by readers of Vedomosti.
June 2020: Support for Black Lives Matter Protests
In June 2020, Alexei Navalny voiced his support for the Black Lives Matter protests against racism.
January 2021: Navalny Investigation Accuses Putin of Building Lavish Estate
On January 19, 2021, two days after being detained, Navalny and the FBK published an investigation accusing President Vladimir Putin of using fraudulently obtained funds to build a massive estate near Gelendzhik, alleging it cost over 100 billion rubles.
February 2021: Boris Nemtsov Prize for Courage
Following his imprisonment in February 2021, Alexei Navalny was awarded the Boris Nemtsov Prize for Courage.
February 2022: Comparison of Recognition of Separatist Republics to Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
In February 2022, Alexei Navalny compared Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics to the Soviet Union's 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, describing both events as distractions.
April 2022: Condemnation of War Crimes and State Media
On 5 April 2022, Alexei Navalny condemned the "monstrosity of lies" in Russian state media regarding war crimes in Ukraine and called for sanctions and trials for "warmongers."
July 2022: Navalny announces relaunch of Anti-Corruption Foundation
On July 11, 2022, Alexei Navalny announced the relaunch of his Anti-Corruption Foundation as an international organisation.
October 2022: Navalny's allies relaunch regional political network
On October 4, 2022, allies of Alexei Navalny announced they were relaunching his regional political network to fight the mobilization and war.
2022: Criticism of Russian Mobilization
In 2022, Alexei Navalny criticized the Russian mobilization, questioning why civilians were being drafted when the army and other services had millions of personnel.
2022: Statement on Preventing War
In the spring of 2022, Alexei Navalny stated that if preventing war requires filling jails, then that price should be paid.
February 2024: Call for Protests During 2024 Russian Presidential Election
On 1 February 2024, Alexei Navalny and his allies urged supporters to protest Putin and the invasion of Ukraine during the 2024 Russian presidential election.
