Russian dissidents funerals highlight despair over deepening repression from isolated burials to mass mourning and back under Putin
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The funeral of Russian dissident Anatoly Marchenko in 1986 showed the restrictive control the Soviet state still held, forcing a remote burial against family wishes.
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In contrast, Soviet leader Gorbachev attended dissident Andrei Sakharov's high-profile 1989 funeral with thousands of mourners present.
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Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's 2015 murder shocked Russia, with thousands attending his funeral amid despair over growing authoritarianism.
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Authorities obstruct Alexei Navalny's family in arranging his funeral, seeking to downplay dissent like the isolated 1986 dissident burial.
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While circa 1989 offered hope, Nemtsov's funeral showed despair and Navalny's restrictions indicate deepening repression under Putin.