The key facts

  • Six foreigners received the Pushkin Medal, including Alexander von Bismarck, founder of the 'Bismarck Dialogue' project
  • The ceremony took place on November 4 in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin on National Unity Day
  • The award was established in 1999 and is granted for bringing peoples closer together and popularizing Russian culture abroad

Award ceremony at the Kremlin

On November 4, National Unity Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Pushkin Medals to foreign figures for their contribution to strengthening international cultural ties. The ceremony took place in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin, the list of awardees was published on the Kremlin's website. The most notable recipient was Alexander von Bismarck — a descendant of the first Chancellor of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck and the founder of the Russian-German public project 'Bismarck Dialogue,' aimed at maintaining contacts and mutual understanding between representatives of the two countries.

Who else received the medal

Besides Bismarck, the Pushkin Medal was awarded to: Carolina Gaspar Ramirez, director of the 'Mexico — Russia' House of Culture (USA), Kim Jong A, CEO of the company 'Space Nal' (Republic of Korea), Momodou Lamin Manga, honorary consul of Russia in Gambia, Draga Mastilovic, Minister of Scientific-Technological Development and Higher Education of the Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Archpriest Alexander Romanchuk, chairman of the Synodal Historical Commission of the Belarusian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate. The award is granted for merits in preserving cultural heritage, bringing peoples closer together, and popularizing Russian literature and art abroad; it was established in 1999. On the same day, the president also presented other state awards for contributions to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation.

Context of the award week

The ceremony was part of a series of awards in early November: it was previously reported that Putin awarded Rostislav Tokarev, a schoolboy from Luhansk the Medal 'For Saving Lives' — on May 12, on the bank of the Seversky Donets, the teenager gave first aid to a friend who had stepped on an anti-personnel mine, called rescuers, and carried him several hundred meters to a safe place; the award was presented in the Federation Council. Also announced were the winners of the XII All-Russian 'For Fidelity to Science' Award in Moscow.