Hello, this is Navalny - Letters of a Free Man

Idea, concept, and text selection: Katja Kolm
Translation and German adaptation: Katja Kolm and Isolde Schmitt
Alexei Navalny's letters from prison and his speeches at court hearings have become a special literary genre, in which one of the most famous political prisoners appears as a sober analyst, a passionate prophet, a strict and ironic accuser, and a loving husband. He dissects the Russian government, describes the conditions in Russian prisons, takes excursions into Russian history, and shares personal experiences. His written legacy tells the story of Russian resistance and how to maintain humanity under inhumane conditions.
Austrian actress Katja Kolm began collecting Alexei Navalny's prison writings and speeches at court hearings in 2021. After a long preparation, driven by the desire to bring these remarkable texts closer to a German-speaking audience, her reading "Hello, this is Navalny" premiered at the Salzburg Festival 2024 with the kind permission of Julia Navalnaya and support from Marina Davydova. The selected writings span the period from September 2020 to February 2024.
Michael Maertens reads the texts of Alexei Navalny, while Katja Kolm reads those of Julia Navalnaya.