She grew up between Ukraine, Russia and the US. As someone who grew up between Ukraine and Russia, I used to go back to both countries to visit family every year. She asked me if I’d heard about Navalny’s death and said she was heartbroken and had been crying all morning. But Navalny’s death represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround. That speaks of Navalny’s power to inspire small acts of courage, even if they won’t bring any real change in the face of overriding fear.

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Persons: Sasha Vasilyuk, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Putin, Sasha Vasilyu, Christopher Michel A, I’d, hadn’t, Sergei GAPON, SERGEI GAPON, Sergei Gapon, “, ”, Russia lawlessly, –, didn’t, Sasha Alexeyeva, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Getty, Russian Embassy, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, California, Moscow, today’s Russia, Europe, Eastern Europe, Latvia, Warsaw, AFP, Crimea