The key facts

  • The ceremony took place in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin on National Unity Day
  • The presidential prize went to Ivan Yesin, and the Order of Honor to Vadim Krasnoselsky
  • The Order of Friendship was awarded to representatives of Armenia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, China and Kyrgyzstan

Informal conversation after the ceremony

Russian President Vladimir Putin, after the state awards ceremony on National Unity Day concluded, spoke with the laureates in an informal setting. According to TASS, as cited by Gazeta.Ru, together with the Russian leader, representatives of public and religious organizations, the business elite and cultural figures, including citizens of foreign countries, raised glasses of champagne under the vaults of the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin. Putin and the awardees chatted animatedly for several minutes while standing, the agency notes.

Who was awarded and with what

That same day, Putin took part in the ceremony of presenting state awards and the prize for contributions to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation. This year, the presidential prize was awarded to Ivan Yesin, managing director of the Foundation for Humanitarian Projects. The Order of Honor was awarded to Vadim Krasnoselsky, head of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The Order of Friendship went to representatives of Armenia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, China and Kyrgyzstan — among them Parkev Avetisyan, vice-rector for science at the Russian-Armenian University, Ennio Bordato, president of the Italian charitable association Help Save the Children, and Archpriest Vladimir Malchenko, rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toronto.

Awards on the eve

By a separate decree, which Gazeta.Ru also reports, Putin earlier awarded a descendant of Bismarck the Pushkin Medal. Thus, the awards were presented not only as part of the ceremonial event on November 4, but also through separate decisions of the head of state.