Patriot

The FSB (Federal Security Service) is Russia’s main domestic security agency, responsible for counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and surveillance. It plays a significant role in Russian politics by maintaining internal stability, monitoring political opposition, and enforcing state security policies, such as by targeting Navalny. The FSB operates with considerable authority, often influencing political decisions and shaping the country’s power dynamics through its close ties to the Kremlin.

The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps operated by the Soviet government, primarily during Joseph Stalin’s rule. It played a central role in Soviet politics by serving as a tool for political repression, where millions of prisoners, including political dissidents, were subjected to harsh conditions and forced labor. The legacy of the Gulag remains a symbol of state-controlled oppression and totalitarian rule in Russian and Soviet history. In Patriot, Navalny compares his experiences in contemporary Russian prisons to the historical Gulag.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president and serves as the central hub of political power in Russia. The Kremlin symbolizes the executive authority of the state, housing key government offices, including the presidential administration. In Patriot and broader Russian politics, “the Kremlin” is often used as a metonym for the country’s leadership and its decision-making apparatus.

Russia of the Future is a Russian political movement founded by Navalny that advocates for democratic reforms, anti-corruption measures, and increased political freedoms. It seeks to challenge the current political establishment by promoting transparency, free elections, and accountability in government. Though not officially registered as a political party due to government restrictions, it has become a symbol of resistance and reform in Russian politics.

SHIZO, an acronym for “Punishment Isolation Cell,” is a type of solitary confinement used in Russian prisons and penal colonies. In Patriot, it is often associated with the state’s punitive measures against political prisoners, dissidents, and activists such as Navalny. Placement in SHIZO is characterized by harsh conditions, limited communication, and minimal privileges, making it a symbol of political repression and human rights abuses in the Russian penal system.

The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was a socialist federal state that existed from 1922 to 1991, with Russia as its largest and most influential republic. For Navalny, the USSR represents a period of centralized, one-party rule dominated by the Communist Party, marked by state control over the economy, media, and political life. Its dissolution in 1991 led to the emergence of the Russian Federation, an era that Navalny recalls in the book.