Patriot. A Memoir by Alexei Navalny

Patriot is Alexei Navalny’s autobiography told through the story of modern Russia.

The book begins with his childhood and early years — growing up in the shadow of the Chernobyl disaster, the Soviet war in Afghanistan, Gorbachev’s perestroika, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the chaotic rise of post-Soviet capitalism. It ends with the events in which Navalny, by then the leader of the Russian opposition, was no longer simply witnessing history, but helping shape it: protests, arrests, assassination attempts, anti-corruption investigations, and his presidential campaign.

Patriot has been published in 36 countries and in 26 languages, including Russian. The book became an international bestseller, appearing on bestseller lists including The New York Times, The Times, Le Point, and Der Spiegel. It was also named one of the best books of the year by The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and NPR. In 2025, Patriot received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography. At the British Book Awards, it won Narrative Non-Fiction Book of the Year and was named overall Book of the Year.