Putin Inc. Fears Navalny Even Beyond the Grave

The ban on the opposition leader’s name perished with the 47-year-old’s untimely death at the hands of the Russian state on February 16. Now, Russia’s No. 1 propagandist and state TV host, Vladimir Solovyov, can’t stop talking about the opposition leader, as he seeks to besmirch him even in death and settle some personal scores in the process.

Solovyov exemplifies the motivation for the flaming hatred of Russia’s ruling elites toward Navalny. In fact, he openly spells it out. Navalny and the organization he founded, the Anti-Corruption Foundation, known as the FBK, published explosive, extensively researched, and well-documented investigations into corruption by high-ranking Russian government officials, propagandists, and other stooges serving Putin’s regime.

As the leading state TV host, cherished and decorated by Putin and the Kremlin, Solovyov is handsomely compensated for spreading propaganda to the masses. According to recent leaks attributed to Russia’s presidential administration, in 2023, Solovyov’s company received 1.5 billion rubles (roughly $16 million) from the Russian state budget. The same documents showed that in 2024, Solovyov’s propaganda operation will receive $32 million.

Instead of spending his handsome earnings in his own country, as might be expected from a self-proclaimed ultra-patriot, Solovyov has been investing abroad — purchasing Italian villas, sending one of his sons to live and study in London, and constantly flying to the United States, where it was alleged that he had a secret family. The allegation resulted from investigative work by The Insider, Navalny’s anti-corruption publication. 

The opposition leader’s work exposed and embarrassed not just Solovyov, but Putin himself and many others in his circle. At a time when so many Russians are struggling to make ends meet and are being sent to die for Putin’s imperial dream, these revelations continue to be especially damaging.

Head of RT Margarita Simonyan stated that the “victims” of Navalny’s corruption investigations keep calling her, wishing for him not to rest in peace. 

During one of his infamous tirades on the February 27 broadcast of Full Contact on the Solovyov Live channel, which is broadcast on TV and on radio, the host raged about his feelings for the deceased opposition leader and laid out a series of untruthful statements designed to blacken his name.

“Politely speaking, I didn’t like Navalny . . . Navalny did what is completely unconscionable and improper, he released information about my minor children during his Italian investigation,” Solovyov said. “It was totally vile on his part.”

He went on, “I considered him a lowlife! Once, I saw him in person. He was with his family, so I decided not to beat him up. What a creature he was, I don’t even want to talk about it.” 

Solovyov complained that after the beginning of Putin’s full-scale invasion, some of his friends became ashamed of him and were instead in awe of Navalny. He baselessly described his FBK, as “a network of spies,” and once again insisted that Yulia Navalnaya should be criminally charged for comments made after her husband’s untimely death.

Solovyov alleged that Navalnaya was “happy” that her husband died and stated untruthfully that she never visited him in prison — although she certainly did when such visits were allowed. 

Addressing criticism from listeners that he had broken one of Russia’s silent codes — that the dead should not be maligned — Solovyov responded: “Who started it? Alburov! Alburov started it! Who likes to dig around? The FBK!” 

Georgy Alburov, an FBK investigator, presented a video entitled “The American Secret of Vladimir Solovyov.”  

Despite all of Russia witnessing the debacle with the government’s refusal to release Navalny’s body to his family in a timely manner, Solovyov shamelessly and falsely accused the wife and mother of the deceased of abusing his remains. 

During a February 29 broadcast on the Solovyov Live channel, the host Roman Golovanov urged authorities to identify and arrest any attendees at Navalny’s March 1 funeral, unless they can prove to be relatives. The detained would include Yulia Navalnaya, whom they also want to see arrested and imprisoned (although she does not live in Russia.) It was later reported that funeral agencies are refusing to take Navalny’s body to the church for the funeral service, citing “anonymous threats.”

Solovyov also has a role as the regime’s chief explainer. No doubt understanding that many in Russia have witnessed the Putin administration’s repellent treatment of Navalny’s remains, with officials refusing for days to hand it over to his mother, and demanding there should not be a public funeral, the broadcaster suggested all blame lay with Navalny’s relatives.

“Can you imagine what is happening to the corpse you have been keeping in a warm room for 10 days?” He went on to say: “You are abusing the corpse! Can you imagine the level of decomposition? What are they trying to conceal?” 

Solovyov complained that the family failed to bury Navalny “according to Christian customs,” within three days of his death when in reality they were still fighting to get his body from the authorities.

Georgy Volkov, the head of Moscow’s Public Monitoring Commission (ONK), appeared on Solovyov’s program to share the supposed charmed existence Navalny had enjoyed in prison. 

Volkov asserted that Navalny was in great physical shape and had no health problems, aside from periodic back pain. He surmised that the photos in which he appeared to be emaciated were either faked or taken from bad angles. 

Volkov said, “[Navalny] spent most of his time with his attorneys, who visited him every day. They spent practically all daytime hours with him, while he was supposed to be serving his time in prison.” He repeatedly reiterated the improbable claim that Navalny’s attorneys visited him every single day at the Arctic prison some 1,200 miles northeast of Moscow, where he spent all his waking hours in their company. 

Volkov alleged that Navalny and the imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, whom he also visited in prison, exhibited more self-control than an average inmate, baselessly speculating that both had received special training that prepared them for their eventual jailing. The unsubtle hint was that both men were undercover spies. 

Solovyov aired a clip of Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, who claimed Navalny died of natural causes — before any official conclusion as to the cause of his death has been released by Russian authorities. If Budanov’s comment was a clever trap for his country’s invaders, Solovyov swallowed the bait — hook, line, and sinker. 

Solovyov argued that the opposition leader likely did not die of natural causes. He accused the CIA and Ukrainians of being instrumental in “the perfect timing” of Navalny’s death, which he alleged was designed to undermine the PR effect from Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin and the capture of Avdiivka in Eastern Ukraine, while also designed to coincide with the opening of the Munich Security Conference. 

It’s extremely doubtful that Solovyov believes what he says, and certain that he really does loathe the late Alexey Navalny. Whether the rest of Russia swallows the first and shares the second is open to doubt.

Julia Davis is a columnist for The Daily Beast and the creator of the Russian Media Monitor. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, and Women In Film.

Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.