Patriot

Archival Summary & Scope

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORKER, THE ATLANTIC, NPR

*Patriot* is the powerful and moving memoir of Alexei Navalny, the fearless political opposition leader who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.

Written after his near-fatal poisoning in 2020, Navalny chronicles his extraordinary life: from his youth and call to activism, to his marriage, family, and unwavering commitment to challenging a superpower determined to silence him. With vivid detail and never-before-seen correspondence from prison, he recounts his political career, the many attempts on his life, and the relentless campaign he waged against an increasingly dictatorial regime.

Hailed as "funny, fiery, reflective and tragic" (The New York Times) and "a historic text" (The Economist), this memoir is Navalny’s final letter to the world. Infused with his trademark passion, wit, and candor, it offers a gutting personal account of his last years in the world's most brutal prison, a reminder of why individual freedom matters, and a rousing call to continue the work for which he sacrificed his life.