In Photos: Alexei Navalny's Farewell Service

Thousands of Russians gathered to pay their final respects to Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as he was buried at a cemetery in southeastern Moscow amid a heavy police presence.

Navalny died last month at age 47 under unclear circumstances in the Arctic prison colony where he had been serving a 19-year sentence. His charges were widely seen as politically motivated.

President Vladimir Putin's most vociferous critic had galvanized mass protests across the country until he was jailed and his groups were banned as "extremist" in 2021.

Here's a look at photos from Friday's farewell service:

A police officer stands on guard as mourners gather near the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows in Moscow's Maryino distric

 

Pallbearers carry Navalny's casket into the church.

 

Navalny's parents, Anatoly Navalny and Lyudmila Navalnaya, enter the church for their son's memorial service

 

Navalny is seen lying in state during the church service.

 

Mourners threw flowers at the hearse carrying Navalny's coffin from the church and to the Borisovskoye cemetery for Navalny's burial.

 

The hearse carrying Navalny's body leaves the church for the cemetery.

Flowers scattered on the ground in front of toppled-over police barricades.

 

A view of the Borisovskoye cemetery ahead of Navalny's burial.

 

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy (C) arriving at the funeral service for Navalny.

 

Cemetery workers prepare a coffin trolley at the Borisovskoye cemetery ahead of Navalny's burial.

 

Mourners line up at the church.

 

Riot police officers guard the area near the church.

 

People walking from Borisovo metro station to Borisovskoye cemetery.

 

People lining up near the church in Moscow where Navalny's memorial was held

 

Politician Boris Nadezhdin was one of the high-profile political figures to attend Navalny's farewell service.

People line up to bid farewell to Navalny

 

Lyudmila Navalnaya (3rd R) and Anatoly Navalny (2nd R), attend their son's funeral ceremony at the Borisovskoye cemetery.

 

Crowds on their way to Borisovskoye cemetery.

 

A woman holds a portrait of Navalny and Elena Perekrestova's "The Saint Against the Reich," a book about the life of Alexander Schmorell, a Russian-German student who took part in the resistance movement against the Nazis.

 

The crowd could be heard chanting Navalny's name as well as slogans like "Heroes don't die," "Russia will be free" and even "No to war."

 

Crowds heading toward the Borisovskoye cemetery.

 

Crowds heading toward the Borisovskoye cemetery.

 

People left flowers in the snow on the way to the cemetery.