Alexei Navalny

Kettering Democracy Prize Recipient 2025

In 2025, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation awarded the Kettering Democracy Price to Alexei Navalny, a fearless Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist whose life’s work became a rallying cry for democracy in an increasingly authoritarian Russia. 

Born near Moscow, Navalny trained in law and economics, including a fellowship at Yale University, but it was his unwavering commitment to democratic ideals that defined his public life. 

Rising to prominence in the late 2000s, Navalny exposed corruption at the highest levels of Russian power through sharp, accessible investigations and viral videos produced by his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). His efforts stripped away the facade of official integrity and ignited a political awakening across the country. With extraordinary courage and clarity, Navalny gave voice to millions who longed for transparency, accountability, and the right to choose their leaders. 

In 2013, his campaign for mayor of Moscow challenged the system and drew unexpected popular support. Despite years of arrests, smear campaigns, and physical danger—including a near-fatal poisoning in 2020—he remained undeterred. His decision to return to Russia after recovering abroad was a powerful act of defiance and loyalty to the people he fought for. 

Navalny was imprisoned upon his return, but even behind bars, he continued to embody democratic resistance. His writings and messages inspired protests, international solidarity, and ongoing demands for change. 

He died in a remote Arctic penal colony on February 16, 2024, but his legacy endures. Navalny remains a symbol of moral courage and democratic hope, a man who risked everything to insist that Russians deserve freedom, fairness, and a voice in their own future.