In his own words - Alexei Navalny's dark humour during dark times

Alexei Navalny, who is reported to have died in prison at the age of 47, amassed a huge following in Russia, even as the country's political system became ever-more authoritarian.

The pre-eminent leader of the opposition to President Vladimir Putin was noted for his dry humour, which shone through even in the few letters he sent from the harsh prison colonies where he was imprisoned.

• Navalny was often asked: Do you fear for your life?

'A giant shawarma'

Navalny rose to fame by releasing intricately researched documentaries on YouTube. The investigations revealed corruption at the top of the Russian state, from Mr Putin downwards.

His most-watched investigation was a nearly two-hour expose of an extravagant palace allegedly built for Mr Putin.

Navalny's wit is evident through the video, which has been watched over 130 million times.

At one point, describing plans for a pole on a stage in a room in the mansion, he says: "We just can't imagine why a pole is needed on stage.

"Maybe for a Christmas tree or a giant shawarma?"

Navalny mocked the Russian leader over his opulent palace

He also ridiculed Mr Putin for building an underground bunker on the palace grounds.

"Here, you can enjoy what is most important for our national leader - being in a very safe underground place where nothing threatens you."

'Why did you want to kill me?'

After being poisoned on a flight in 2020, Navalny was evacuated to Germany where he was treated. Later, while working with the investigative outlet Bellingcat, he claimed to have identified the Russian secret service poisoners responsible for his attempted assassination.

In a stunning coup, he called several of his would-be assassins. "This is Alexei Navalny. Why did you want to kill me?" he asked one. Posing as a bossy superior, he got another to explain the most minute details of the attempted assassination in a phone call recorded and posted to YouTube.

The revelations proved hugely embarrassing to the Kremlin.

'Hello from the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy'

After recovering, in January 2021 Navalny returned to Russia where he was immediately arrested.

While imprisoned, he frequently passed on messages to his lawyers which were published on social media. These often described his worsening conditions of detention and his struggle for even very basic items.

In one message from November 2022, he said he was suing the prison administration for refusing to give him winter boots so that he could go outside. Having to choose between not going for the short walks he was permitted or risk falling ill in the freezing cold, he said he had been placed "at the lowest rung of Maslow's hierarchy," referring to a concept in psychology.

The concept describes a hierarchy of human needs, with physical survival right at the bottom.

"Hello everyone, from the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy," he joked.

In another message, he said walking in his prison's colony -32C weather was possible "only if you manage to grow a new nose, new ears and new fingers".

'Post-irony and meta-irony'

Alexei Navalny said that every day in prison he was woken at five in the morning by the song of a popular Russian singer, Shaman.

The song is "I am Russian".

In a post on X, Navalny said, "The singer Shaman [whose real name is Yaroslav Dronov] came to prominence when I was already in prison so I could neither see him nor listen to his music. But I knew he had become Putin's main singer.

He wrote that state authorities said the ultra-nationalist pop song was played for educational purposes.

"To be honest, I'm still not sure that I correctly understand what post-irony and meta-irony are. But if that's not it, what is it?" quipped Navalny.

'Huge salary'

The day before he died, Navalny appeared in court, where he mocked the poor salaries he accused corrupt Russian officials of supplementing with bribes.

"Your Honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to 'warm up' my personal account, because I am running out of money," he told the judge presiding over the case.

It was to be his last public appearance.

Alexei Navalny: More coverage

• OBITUARY: Russia's most vociferous Putin critic

• READ MORE: What we know about reports of Navalny's death

• BEHIND BARS: Life in notorious 'Polar Wolf' penal colony

• IN HIS OWN WORDS: Navalny's dark humour during dark times

• SARAH RAINSFORD: Navalny was often asked: 'Do you fear for your life?'

• WATCH: Oscar-winning BBC documentary on Navalny