After 2007, Alexei Navalny gained fame in Russia as a blogger and opposition politician. Yulia became the first secretary and assistant to her husband. The family's life became noticeably more public, so that Navalnaya was in the spotlight as the "first lady of the Russian opposition." Observers note that she never tried to position herself as an independent figure: Yulia always behaves like a devoted wife and companion ("the Decembrist's wife"), ready for harsh statements and decisive actions if her husband needs it, but not directly related to politics. She spoke at a number of rallies; she called the head of the National Guard of Russia Viktor Zolotov, who in September 2018 challenged Alexei Navalny to a "duel", as a "thief, coward and impudent bandit".