Chaos is expected in Moscow due to Navalny's funeral VIDEO

Chaos is expected in Moscow due to Navalny's funeral VIDEO

However, problems started almost immediately. The spokeswoman for the most famous Russian opposition leader, who was found dead in a notorious prison on February 16, Kira Yarmysh, confirmed that they could not even find a hearse to take the body to the church. "Unknown people call morgues and threaten them," she said.

It was announced earlier that the funeral ceremony should be held in the place of Maryino, which is located on the outskirts of Moscow, and the planned start of the commemorative service is scheduled for 14:00 Moscow time, which is 12 o'clock CET.

A huge number of people started heading towards the church from the early hours of the morning, and as the hour for the start of the ceremony approaches, their number is increasing. According to some media reports, a mass of people rushed to the church, but the police stopped them at the barricades.

The funeral itself is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time, and should be broadcast live on Navalny's YouTube channel. Navalny's team invited people to attend the commemoration and funeral, and gave them maps of the route between the two locations, and according to them, that walk should last about 28 minutes.

They also shared a list of places abroad - from Seoul to Rome, Montreal and Stockholm - where people can join memorial services for Navalny. However, it remains unclear how many people will attend the funeral in Moscow. Speaking to the BBC, Navalny's former chief of staff, Leonid Volkov, admitted he was extremely worried about what might happen during his service in Moscow. "I'm afraid that surprises can be expected. Honestly, as I speak now, I don't know if they will really allow people to say goodbye to Alexei," he said.

He added that Navalny's team is also worried that there could be problems with the church where the service is held, recalling the scenario from March 2015, when thousands of people gathered in the streets to pay their respects to the murdered opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. However, it is unlikely that any similar public outpouring of grief for President Vladimir Putin's opponent will now be allowed, especially since in recent years Russian authorities have cracked down on any action that could be interpreted as criticism of the government.

The authorities also reacted during the tribute to the deceased Navalny, and hundreds of people were arrested.

Photos circulating on social media yesterday show a heavy police presence and barriers that will be set up near the church where the memorial service will take place and at the cemetery where Navalny is supposed to be buried.

Telegram channel RusNews also announced that surveillance cameras were installed "on street lighting" around the cemetery, while videos were posted on social networks claiming that strong police forces had already been sent to suppress the demonstrations. The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is to be held in Moscow Friday, with mourners risking arrest to pay their respects.

Navalny's spokeswoman says funeral directors had received threatening calls warning them not to transport his body.