Ukrainian poet and writer Lina Kostenko received the Order of the Legion of Honor at the French Embassy in Kyiv.
This was reported by journalist Myroslava Barchuk on Thursday, July 14.
"It was an absolute surprise for me. I belong to a globally unknown culture. Mr. Ambassador rightly remarked, I really love France. Even in those terrible, totalitarian times, my soul was always in France. I have the feeling that I have been to France even through the Iron Curtain," said Lina Kostenko.
Previously, Ukrainians became knights of the Legion of Honor, including the outstanding Ukrainian artist Ilya Repin, anthropologist and ethnographer Fedir Vovk, choreographer Serhiy Lyfar and others.
- The Legion of Honor is the highest award in France, awarded by the President of the Republic for military or civilian merit (the highest award for civilian merit). The legion was founded on May 19, 1802.