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Opposition chief Alexei A. Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya, in one in every of her few public appearances since her husband's loss of life final month, stood in a line with voters exterior the Russian embassy in Berlin on Sunday.
Ms Navalnya has vowed to hold on her husband's work. His look on the embassy on Sunday to vote in Russia's presidential election seems to comply with Mr. Navalny's one in every of his final political exhortations earlier than his loss of life: for opponents of President Vladimir V. Putin to show up on the polls on Sunday. Supporting one other activist's name to occur. Midday native time.
Ms Navalny declined to remark to reporters, standing in a mile-long line together with her husband's longtime spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh. However he hugged his supporters and took photographs with them, a few of whom had tears of their eyes.
After ready for about six hours, Ms Navalnya got here out of the Russian Embassy. He informed reporters that he had written “Navalny” on his poll.
By 1 p.m., the road of voters stretched practically a mile throughout central Berlin, ending proper in entrance of an indication marking the situation of Hitler's World Battle II bunker. Many individuals ready to forged ballots stated they deliberate to vote for somebody apart from Mr. Putin — though the choices had been Kremlin-approved candidates — or write in Mr. Navalny.
Yulia Lozovskaya, 29, who moved to Germany from St. Petersburg after Mr. Putin's invasion of Ukraine, was one in every of many individuals who sought out Ms. Navalnaya on social media after studying that she was standing someplace in line.
“You are feeling such as you’re not alone,” Ms. Lozovskaya stated, referring to the dimensions of the group. “And that takes loads of energy.”