“He wasn’t afraid, and I’m not afraid”: Memorial events held worldwide on second anniversary of Navalny’s murder, arrests reported in Russia

Russians also brought flowers, candles, and notes to makeshift memorials and monuments to victims of political repression in St. Petersburg, Barnaul, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Perm, Gorno-Altaysk, among other Russian cities.

A note at a memorial in Gorno-Altaysk read: “Alexei, we remember you! Now your name is for the ages. You were a leader, and you became a banner! Now in our hearts you are that very Stormy Petrel from Gorky’s poem! And the memory of you cannot be killed! P.S.: There is no more courageous and patient person than you!”

As of 15:00 Moscow time, at least two arrests at memorial events in Russia had been confirmed. In Volgograd, a man was detained without explanation at a monument to victims of political repression, he told human rights project OVD-Info. The detainee was taken to the 4th police department, after which he stopped responding.

In St. Petersburg, police detained a man over a photo of a memorial to victims of political repression on Voskresenskaya Embankment, the outlet RusNews wrote. He told journalists he was taken to the 76th police station and that officers planned to issue him a fine.

Also in St. Petersburg, people were no longer being allowed to approach the memorial — the official reason given was that construction work was underway in the area. The monument was cordoned off with mesh fencing and a crane was set up, with police officers on duty nearby, a witness told RusNews.

Memorial events are also being held abroad. In the morning, Russian-speaking residents of Dusseldorf burned a photo of an Ecuadorian frog, laid flowers and candles, and put up banners and posters reading “We will not forget, we will not forgive.”