Brother of Russian opposition leader releases calendar from prison

The brother of one of Russia’s leading opposition politicians has released his own hand-drawn calendar while serving time in prison.

Oleg Navalny was jailed for three and a half years in December 2014 after being found guilty of embezzling funds from a subsidiary of French cosmetics giant Yves Rocher. His brother, Russian presidential hopeful Alexey Navalny, was also found guilty, but escaped with a suspended sentence. The case has been widely cricised at home and and abroad, with many condemning it as politically motivated.

Oleg, who describes himself as a political prisoner, honed his art skills while serving time, and has already launched his own Instagram account to publish his work. He told his followers that prisoners were only permitted to draw with pencils, pens, or charcoal. “Only in gray and black!” he wrote. “You’re only allowed to use other colours after two years.”

He has now released a calendar detailing prison life, using splashes of colour to illuminate an otherwise monochrome world.

If you’d like to order a copy of Oleg’s calendar for yourself, send your request to [email protected].