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A year after his death in an Arctic prison, Alexei Navalny continues to be considered in the West a leading figure in the opposition to Vladimir Putin.
However, his name is no longer uttered in many parts of Russia, where the Kremlin has managed to silence all of its most vocal critics.
However, the late politician's legacy is far from lost, with one expert believing that Navalny's fight will be key to rebuilding the country after the end of Putin's regime.
Michael Clarke, a visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, described Mr Navalny as a powerful symbol of resistance when he was alive. But his death has managed to "suppress the perspective of the domestic opposition" and "remove that symbol".
He told Express that “Putin managed to make it almost impossible for anyone else to fill the same role [as Mr Navalny].” No one else, he added, “could take that role without being arrested and then possibly killed.”
While a domestic opposition to Putin's rule still exists, it has been forced into hiding by Mr Navalny's death, Professor Clarke said, in a major victory for the despot, who now has "everything his way".
Indeed, some Russians think Navalny's legacy is already fading.
A woman living in southern Russia, thousands of kilometers from Moscow, who spoke to Express on condition of anonymity, said: "The name Alexei Navalny in Russia is like the name Voldemort in Harry Potter, which cannot be said out loud - no matter how funny or sad it sounds.
"In our region, there is absolutely no talk about him, especially on news channels, there is silence when it comes to him, even on the day of his death there was not much information on TV about him."
"I'm sure the people who followed him keep his memory alive as a man who tried to fight for freedom of speech in Russia."
Speaking about Navalny's decision to return to Russia after he was treated for poisoning in Germany, she added: "And of course, the work he did when he returned to Russia is very significant. But the people who spoke badly about him will continue to do so."
However, Professor Clarke believes that Putin's regime is not invincible and the struggling Russian economy, characterised by high inflation and a spiralling cost of living, could eventually bring it down.
Meanwhile, Russia's underground opposition must "spend the next few years until Putin's regime begins to crumble," the expert added. "This is not the time when they can mount any significant parliamentary challenge to him," he continued. "They are not in a position to campaign openly."
The expert said that when the time comes, however, Mr. Navalny's memory and legacy will be essential to the opposition and politics in Russia.
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