On the eve of Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the title of "National Legend" to 10 more Ukrainians. For the first time, such an award was presented in 2021.
This is stated on Zelenskyʼs Facebook account.
The famous football player Andriy Shevchenko received the title of "National Legend". It was also given posthumously to the artist, Maria Prymachenko, and opera singer, Anatoly Solovyanenko.
All other awards are related to a full-scale Russian invasion. Colonel Ihor Bedzai, former commander of the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade, who died in May 2022, was posthumously awarded the title of "National Legend".
This title was also awarded to:
- a conductor, Anatoly Babichev, who took people from Kostyantynivka, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Lyman. His wife Nataliia worked in the same train, in another carriage. She died during the shelling of the train. Despite the tragedy, Anatoly returned to service and saving people;
- a firefighter, Ihor Ivasikov. Thanks to him, 17 people were rescued from the rubble of the State Administration of Mykolaiv;
- spouses of doctors Olha and Anatoly Svyst. Once in Bucha, they did not leave the city and for two weeks, under fire and without proper equipment, they performed extremely difficult operations;
- a teacher, Hanna But, from Melitopol. Despite the occupation, she raises her students to be patriots. The video, where is she, wrapped in the flag of Ukraine, demands more decisive actions from the international community, got into almost all the worldʼs mass media and social networks.
- a volunteer, Tata Kepler. Like thousands of volunteers, she has been helping the army for eight years in a row.
On August 22, 2021, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraineʼs independence, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented the first “National Legend" awards, which he founded in July of that year. At that time, the poet Yurii Rybchynskyi, the artist Ivan Marchuk, the football player Oleh Blokhin, the choreographer Myroslav Vantukh, the ballerina Olena Potapova, the singer Sofia Rotaru and the composer Myroslav Skoryk (posthumously) received this title.
The "National Legend" award is given for personal merits in the formation of independent Ukraine, personal merits in strengthening its statehood, protection of the motherland and service to the Ukrainian people, as well as for a significant contribution to the development of the national economy, science, education, culture, art, sports, health care, for active charity and public activity. The award can be received not only by citizens of Ukraine, but also by foreigners, as well as stateless persons.