Thousands of mourners gathered in Moscow on Saturday to bid farewell to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died under mysterious circumstances two weeks ago in an Arctic penal colony. The funeral turned into one of the largest recent displays of dissent in the country.

Lyudmila Navalnaya and Alla Abrosimova, the mother and mother-in-law of the late Navalny, were among those who visited his grave, offering flowers in remembrance. The cemetery was heavily guarded by the police, but the atmosphere remained calm, according to Russian independent TV channel Dozhd.

Although spontaneous memorials to Navalny had previously appeared in various Russian cities, reports suggested that they had been destroyed. Flowers placed at these memorials in cities like St. Petersburg and Voronezh were reportedly removed.

A massive gathering of mourners took place on Friday, where thousands paid their respects to Navalny. The mourners, who gathered outside a church and cemetery in southeastern Moscow, chanted slogans in support of Navalny and against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. While the police did not interfere with the crowd, rights group OVD-Info reported that at least 106 people were detained during events across Russia in Navalny's memory. Most of them were apprehended while trying to lay flowers at monuments dedicated to victims of Soviet repression.

Following a brief Russian Orthodox ceremony, Navalny was laid to rest, with crowds patiently waiting outside the church. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, was not seen during the funeral, but she expressed her determination to continue his work, expressing gratitude for their "26 years of absolute happiness."

The funeral proceedings followed a clash with authorities over the release of Navalny's body. His team claimed that several Moscow churches had refused to hold the funeral for the prominent anti-corruption campaigner. Many leaders from Western countries have blamed the Russian government for Navalny's death, while the Kremlin vehemently denied any involvement.

The funeral marked a significant moment of opposition and mourning in Russia, as thousands bid farewell to Navalny and his legacy of challenging official corruption and leading massive protests.