Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? A discussion w/ Ben Noble and Jan Matti Dollbaum

Join authors Ben Noble and Jan Matti Dollbaum to hear them discuss their understanding of Russian oppositional politics, its development in the wake of the Russia’s war on Ukraine, as well as the political prospects of Navalny and his allies. The conversation will be moderated by Yulia Taranova, a doctoral researcher at King’s College London.

At the end of January 2021, three experts on contemporary Russian politics — Dr Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet and Dr Ben Noble — realised that no comprehensive English-language study had been published of the political career and significance of Alexei Navalny. The leading opposition figure had just returned to Russia — after treatment in Germany following a failed attempt on his life — only to be arrested by the Russian authorities.

The academics decided to produce such a study themselves, and Navalny: Putin’s Nemesis, Russia’s Future? has been a tremendous success. It has been translated into eight languages so far, was selected by The Financial Times as one of the best books on politics in 2021, and has been nominated for the Pushkin House Book Prize. Join Dollbaum and Noble to hear them discuss their understanding of Russian oppositional politics, its development in the wake of the Russia’s war on Ukraine, as well as the political prospects of Navalny and his allies. The conversation will be moderated by Yulia Taranova, a doctoral researcher at King’s College London.

About the book

Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of the world media. His immediate detention at passport control set the stage for an explosive showdown with Vladimir Putin.

But Navalny means very different things to different people. To some, he is a democratic hero. To others, he is betraying the Motherland. To others still, he is a dangerous nationalist. This book explores the many dimensions of Navalny’s political life, from his pioneering anti-corruption investigations to his ideas and leadership of a political movement. It also looks at how his activities and the Kremlin’s strategies have shaped one another.

Navalny makes sense of this divisive character, revealing the contradictions of a man who is the second most important political figure in Russia—even when behind bars. In order to understand modern Russia, you need to understand Alexei Navalny. This updated version includes new material following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

About the authors

Jan Matti Dollbaum is a postdoctoral researcher at Bremen University, specialising in activism and civil society in Russia.

Morvan Lallouet is a PhD candidate at the University of Kent, researching Navalny and the Russian opposition.

Ben Noble is Associate Professor of Russian Politics at University College London and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House.