President Volodymyr Zelensky won the Borys Nemtsov Prize in 2022. It is given for the struggle for freedom.
The press service of the Nemtsov Foundation writes about this.
"We do not give an award for the past or for the future. We give an award for what a person has done here and now this year. And here and now Volodymyr Zelensky remained in Kyiv and decided to defend his homeland together with his people. He showed courage, "said the founder of the fund and this award, the daughter of Borys Nemtsov Zhanna.
According to her, no one expected such actions from Zelensky, so he showed courage and bravery.
The foundation noted that this year they decided to award this prize to one of the Ukrainians. In addition to Zelensky, the nominees were Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, leader of the Okean Elzy band, Vitaliy Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to the head of the Presidentʼs Office, paramedic Yulia Payevska (Taira), who has been held captive by Russians since March, and many others. But it was Zelensky who won.
The foundation was established in 2015 in Germany in memory of the murdered Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. Since 2016, the foundation has been awarding the Nemtsov Prize to people who are "especially committed to the struggle for freedom of expression and help those who suffer political, racial or religious persecution."