--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I finish writing the emails and send…" description: "\"“I finish writing the emails and send them. I check that Yulia has access to the banking apps-a fairly pointless exercise because all my accounts have ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd3/alexei-navalny-12133_chief-of-staff_i-finish-writing-the-emails-and-send-the_2907020.png" --- # I finish writing the emails and send them. I check that… ![“I finish writing the emails and send them. I check that Yulia has access to the banking apps-a fairly pointless exercise because all my accounts have been frozen for months by lawsuits filed by "Putin's chef," Yevgeny Prigozhin, a man who, in the days of the U.S.S.R., was convicted of aggravated…” quote by Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd3/alexei-navalny-12133_chief-of-staff_i-finish-writing-the-emails-and-send-the_2907020.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd3/alexei-navalny-12133_chief-of-staff_i-finish-writing-the-emails-and-send-the_2907020.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd3/alexei-navalny-12133_chief-of-staff_i-finish-writing-the-emails-and-send-the_2907020.png) > ““I finish writing the emails and send them. I check that Yulia has access to the banking apps-a fairly pointless exercise because all my accounts have been frozen for months by lawsuits filed by "Putin's chef," Yevgeny Prigozhin, a man who, in the days of the U.S.S.R., was convicted of aggravated robbery but has now become, thanks to his friendship with Putin, "a successful entrepreneur" with a monopoly on the food supply to the day cares and schools of Moscow. We are running out of time. One more meeting is scheduled. I call Leonid Volkov, our chief of staff, Maria, and Kira. Yulia joins us. We briefly discuss the plan of action for each possible scenario: we get home without hindrance; I am arrested at the airport and jailed; I am detained, then released, and the Kremlin waits for the indignation to subside and then has me arrested; nothing happens, but I am arrested in a couple of weeks on a different charge, and so on. These scenarios are approaches the Kremlin has already used on us. In the twenty-first century you are confronted not just by the machinery of a repressive state but by the PR machinery of that state. Public opinion is what matters to all the players. The same action performed in subtly different ways can either leave people unmoved or enrage them and bring them out onto the streets to demonstrate. Everything has to be taken into account, including what day of the week it is and the weather.”” [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Navalny describes the complex strategic planning needed to navigate authoritarian repression and media manipulation, emphasizing scenario planning and public perception management. **In simple terms:** He explains how to prepare for multiple possible outcomes under a repressive regime. Key Takeaway Plan for multiple outcomes and manage public perception. Themes politics strategy media repression risk management Mood tense determined strategic Type political activist strategic When to use this quote - activist meetings - legal defense - media campaigns - contingency drills Key Concepts scenario planning information warfare public opinion authoritarian tactics Questions to Reflect On - How can activists balance secrecy with the need to inform the public? - What role does timing play in influencing public reaction? A Different Perspective Assumes access to reliable intelligence and coordinated allies, which may be limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approaches Kremlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approaches-kremlin-4165342/) [Chief of staff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-of-staff/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Day care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-care/) [Different ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) [Filed Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filed-putin-4165341/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Food supply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-supply/) [Friendship Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship-putin-2301306/) [Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaze/) [Kremlin Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kremlin-used-4165344/) [Leave People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-people/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) [Public relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-relations/) [Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin/) [Putin Chef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin-chef-4165343/) [Running out of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-out-of-time/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) ## Related quotes > [After Trump's election victory, I explained why there would be no friendship between Putin and Trump. 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My passion for kids is through the roof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-newton/one-day-i-hope-to-open-my-own-day-care-center-my-passion-for-kids-is/) [Cam Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-newton/) > [“The book argues that even though many cases have been held up as classic examples of modern American “witch hunts,” none of them fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-book-argues-that-even-though-many-cases-have-been-held-up-as/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [If politicians were serious about day care for children, instead of just sloganizing about it, nothing they could do would improve the quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-politicians-were-serious-about-day-care-for-children-instead-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [You mean to say that when an imbecile walks into a church, office, day care center, or school, stumbling about, almost zombie-like, with gun-filled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/you-mean-to-say-that-when-an-imbecile-walks-into-a-church-office-day/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [One day you're here, one day you're there , one day you care .. oh you're so unfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvija/one-day-you-re-here-one-day-you-re-there-one-day-you-care-oh-you-re/) [Silvija](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvija/) > [My brother and I used to laugh and say, 'Normal kids went to day care, and we went to the gym.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-bickerstaff/my-brother-and-i-used-to-laugh-and-say-normal-kids-went-to-day-care/) [J. B. Bickerstaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-bickerstaff/) > [The everyday cares and duties, which men call drudgery, are the weights and counterpoises of the clock of time, giving its pendulum a true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-everyday-cares-and-duties-which-men-call-drudgery-are-the-weights/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [When I was about twenty-one, I published a few poems. Maybe I wrote a couple of stories before, but I really began to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/when-i-was-about-twenty-one-i-published-a-few-poems-maybe-i-wrote-a/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) > [“A cult is a group of people who share an obsessive devotion to a person or idea. The cults described in this book use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-smith/a-cult-is-a-group-of-people-who-share-an-obsessive-devotion-to-a/) [Margaret Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-smith/) > [Our everyday cares, making a living, the crazy rat race of life, often make us forget the value of a good deed. Thus, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/our-everyday-cares-making-a-living-the-crazy-rat-race-of-life-often/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“When she was three, I sent her to day care for a couple of hours every morning. After a few weeks, the teacher called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/when-she-was-three-i-sent-her-to-day-care-for-a-couple-of-hours-every/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## More by Alexei Navalny > [When men are arrested without any legal basis and for political reasons, it's merely a routine, everyday occurrence in Russia, and hardly anyone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/when-men-are-arrested-without-any-legal-basis-and-for-political/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [The questioning is a stupid formality aimed exclusively at preventing us from speaking at the demonstration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/the-questioning-is-a-stupid-formality-aimed-exclusively-at-preventing/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Everyone says corruption is everywhere, but for me it seems strange to say that and then not try to put the people guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/everyone-says-corruption-is-everywhere-but-for-me-it-seems-strange-to/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [After Trump's election victory, I explained why there would be no friendship between Putin and Trump. The contradictions between the systems are too great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/after-trump-s-election-victory-i-explained-why-there-would-be-no/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [People hate politicians. And I can understand why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/people-hate-politicians-and-i-can-understand-why/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Russia should join the international coalition against Islamic State. It is absurd that we are intervening on the side of the Shiites in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/russia-should-join-the-international-coalition-against-islamic-state/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Maybe Putin wanted to fire Medvedev , but how is he supposed to do that after my film?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/maybe-putin-wanted-to-fire-medvedev-but-how-is-he-supposed-to-do-that/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [People aren't really afraid of my views. They are just afraid of the word 'nationalism.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/people-aren-t-really-afraid-of-my-views-they-are-just-afraid-of-the/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Since Russia has the largest number of illegal immigrants, second only to the US, and immigrants from Central Asia bring in drugs, I'm calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/since-russia-has-the-largest-number-of-illegal-immigrants-second-only/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [I am different from Putin, that Russia should not isolate itself. Everything that happens in our country is justified through Syria or Ukraine. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-am-different-from-putin-that-russia-should-not-isolate-itself/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [We've grown accustomed to injustice in Russia. People are constantly being arrested unlawfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/we-ve-grown-accustomed-to-injustice-in-russia-people-are-constantly/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [President Putin will run again in the 2018 election. He wants to be the czar of this new Russian empire that he is rebuilding.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/president-putin-will-run-again-in-the-2018-election-he-wants-to-be/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Nobody wants a political prisoner, but a political emigrant is no problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/nobody-wants-a-political-prisoner-but-a-political-emigrant-is-no/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [We now live in a country with a thousand political prisoners, a country where each week there are new trials, where people are put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/we-now-live-in-a-country-with-a-thousand-political-prisoners-a/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) [Explore all 56 Alexei Navalny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) ## More Chief of staff quotes > [Remember chief of staff Rahm Emanuel's callous enjoinder 'you never want a serious crisis to go to waste'? This White House is a serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-tyrrell/remember-chief-of-staff-rahm-emanuel-s-callous-enjoinder-you-never/) [Bob Tyrrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-tyrrell/) > [As his former chief of staff, I can't imagine Boris Johnson felt very comfortable telling the British people to 'stay at home.' But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/as-his-former-chief-of-staff-i-can-t-imagine-boris-johnson-felt-very/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [Hillary Clinton's opponent in the U.S. Senate race, the Republican she's going to be running against, has been married three times, had an affair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/hillary-clinton-s-opponent-in-the-u-s-senate-race-the-republican-she/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Malcolm X broke with the N.O.I. in March 1964, and in that last 11 chaotic months, he spent most of the time outside of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/malcolm-x-broke-with-the-n-o-i-in-march-1964-and-in-that-last-11/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) > [I got to meet one Chief of Staff: Sam Skinner. He was Chief of Staff at the end of George Sr.'s White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-perry/i-got-to-meet-one-chief-of-staff-sam-skinner-he-was-chief-of-staff-at/) [Jeff Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-perry/) > [“DeMarco told her how he’d gone to Senator Beecham’s chief of staff and how he’d videotaped Tony Benedetto telling all the things that Quinn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-lawson/demarco-told-her-how-he-d-gone-to-senator-beecham-s-chief-of-staff/) [Mike Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-lawson/) > [“Trump did not enjoy his own inauguration. He had hoped for a big blowout. 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Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-ross/) > [How you staff, particularly the chief of staff, the national security adviser, your White House counsel, how you set up a process in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/how-you-staff-particularly-the-chief-of-staff-the-national-security/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“I'm done doing this!' Obama said, finally erupting. 'We've all agreed on a plan. And we're all going to stick to that plan. 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Bush and almost everybody’s model for managing the West Wing, advised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/jim-baker-chief-of-staff-for-both-ronald-reagan-and-george-h-w-bush/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) [Browse all 87 Chief of staff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-of-staff/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I finish writing the emails and send them. I check that Yulia has access to the banking apps-a fairly pointless exercise because all my accounts have been frozen for months by lawsuits filed by \"Putin's chef,\" Yevgeny Prigozhin, a man who, in the days of the U.S.S.R., was convicted of aggravated robbery but has now become, thanks to his friendship with Putin, \"a successful entrepreneur\" with a monopoly on the food supply to the day cares and schools of Moscow. We are running out of time. One more meeting is scheduled. I call Leonid Volkov, our chief of staff, Maria, and Kira. Yulia joins us. We briefly discuss the plan of action for each possible scenario: we get home without hindrance; I am arrested at the airport and jailed; I am detained, then released, and the Kremlin waits for the indignation to subside and then has me arrested; nothing happens, but I am arrested in a couple of weeks on a different charge, and so on. These scenarios are approaches the Kremlin has already used on us. In the twenty-first century you are confronted not just by the machinery of a repressive state but by the PR machinery of that state. Public opinion is what matters to all the players. The same action performed in subtly different ways can either leave people unmoved or enrage them and bring them out onto the streets to demonstrate. 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