Four days after he was gunned down by an unknown assailant in the heart of Moscow, former Russian deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov is to be laid to rest Tuesday.
A stream of people arrived for a somber memorial service taking place at the Sakharov Center in Moscow.
Some held flowers as they filed past the open casket of the prominent Kremlin critic and paid respects to his mother, Dina Eydman, and his children Anton and Zhanna.
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Hundreds more lined up in the cold outside.
Mikhail Kasyanov, a former prime minister under President Vladimir Putin who is now a leading opposition figure and worked closely with Nemtsov, was among the mourners to speak at the service.
He said he believed Nemtsov, known for his outspoken views, was killed out of revenge for his politics.
He also said he thought the killers would be brought to justice, under the next government of Russia if not the current one.
The assassination has spawned a flood of conspiracy theories. Nemtsov was one of Putin's most outspoken critics, and many suspect the Kremlin of either direct or indirect involvement. Putin has vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
No one has yet been arrested and investigators have put forward a number of theories.
The Moscow Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website Tuesday that "all scenarios" are being considered and that it is taking all necessary steps.
"Eyewitness are being questioned, CCTV footage is already being analyzed. Evidence has been collected. A number of tests were carried out -- among them are ballistic, medical examination and trace evidence," it said.
'A very sad day for Russians'
The memorial service is being hosted by Pavel Sheremet, a Russian journalist known for leaving a Russian state TV channel in protest at the Kremlin's current policies on Ukraine.
Other prominent Russian figures at the service include Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, and former Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin.
Russian economist Yevgeny Yasin, who served as economy minister between 1994 and 1997 and is now an academic, said: "Nemtsov always said everything that others were afraid to say."
Evgeniya Albats, editor-in-chief of The New Times magazine, described Nemtsov in a speech as an amazing friend and a fearless politician. She added, "This murder is impossible to forgive. It's on Putin's conscience."
Foreign dignitaries included U.S. ambassador to Russia John Tefft, who said Nemtsov would be remembered as a Russian patriot, and former UK Prime Minister John Major.
Major told CNN: "It's clearly a very sad day for Russians, it's a very sad day for Boris' family, and I'm personally extremely saddened by what has happened.
"I knew him in the 1990s, I admired him, I admired what he stood for, and I hope now a thorough investigation will determine who is responsible for this outrage."
After the memorial service, Nemtsov's funeral will take place at the Troyekurovskoe Cemetery.
Duritskaya -- the only known witness to the shooting -- left Moscow for Kiev late on Monday. She had been staying at the apartment of an aide to Nemtsov under constant police guard.The opposition politician was shot Friday night as he walked across a bridge about 330 feet (100 meters) from the Kremlin with his girlfriend, Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, 23.
Her mother, Inna Duritskaya, told CNN on Monday thather daughter faces constant psychological pressurefrom Moscow authorities and fears she will be implicated in his death.
The Moscow Investigative Committee said Duritskaya was not detained while in Moscow and that she was offered witness protection, which she turned down.
Duritskaya was free to leave at any point but wanted to give her testimony and contribute to the investigation process, "understanding the important of it for the investigation," the statement said. "It is needless to state how important her testimony is."
Entry denied
Not everyone who hoped to attend Nemtsov's funeral has been able to do so.
Latvia's former Foreign Minister and European Parliament member Sandra Kalniete said she was denied entry to Russia Monday night on spurious grounds.
She had intended to represent Latvia and the European People's Party -- the biggest parliamentary group in the European Parliament -- at the funeral, she said.Speaking to CNN by phone from Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, Kalniete told CNN she was finally told she was refused entry "according to Russia's code of law regarding the defense and security of the Russian state and the general health of the public."
"Like many I admired him, I admired his joyfulness and eloquence," Kalniete said. "My wish was not to cause any danger to Russia. I just wanted to go to pay tribute to a political personality, Boris Nemtsov."
The European People's Party said it was the third time a member of the European Parliament had been stopped at the Russian border.
Putin vows to bring killers to justice
Thousands of Nemtsov supporters gathered Sunday in Moscow to mourn the death of the 55-year-old, who was deputy prime minister during President Boris Yeltsin's administration.
The event took place the same day Nemtsov was supposed to lead a rally in Moscow decrying Russia's policies on Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said at the weekend that Nemtsov was about to reveal information that would be damaging to Russian interests, Ukraine's state-run Ukrinform news agency reported.
The President also wrote to Nemtsov's mother, saying he shared her grief, and promised to bring those behind the killing to justice, the Kremlin said.Police said they are looking for a man with short hair who stands between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches,Russia's official Sputnik news agency reported. The shooter was wearing blue jeans and a brown sweater.Putin condemned the killing and ordered three law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting, the Kremlin said.
Russia's Investigative Committee is offering a reward of 3 million rubles ($49,000) for information leading to the arrest of the killer. It said the tipster will be guaranteed anonymity.
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