Hello, this is Navalny

Michael Maertens reads the texts by Alexei Navalny, and Katja Kolm reads those by Yulia Navalnaya.

Alexei Navalny’s letters from prison and his speeches at court hearings have become a distinct literary genre, in which one of the most famous political prisoners appears as a sober analyst, a passionate prophet, a stern and ironic accuser, and a loving husband. He dissects the Russian government, describes conditions in Russian prisons, delves into Russian history, and shares personal experiences. His epistolary legacy tells the story of the Russian resistance and how to preserve humanity under inhumane conditions.

Austrian actress Katja Kolm began collecting Alexei Navalny’s prison writings and courtroom speeches in 2021. After extensive preparation, driven by the desire to bring these remarkable texts to a German-speaking audience, her reading *Hello, this is Navalny speaking * premiered at the 2024 Salzburg Festival with the kind permission of Yulia Navalnaya and the support of Marina Davydova. The selected writings span the period from September 2020 to February 2024.