President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the state award "National Legend of Ukraine" to outstanding Ukrainians and foreigners in Kyiv on August 25. The head of state said this during the awards ceremony, UNN writes.
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This year's laureates include pilot Rostyslav Lazarenko, sculptor Anatolii Kushch, journalist Alla Mazur, footballer Ihor Belanov, composer Yevhen Stankovych, restaurateur José Andrés, artist Tiberii Silvashi, serviceman Asan Charukhov, director Oleksandr Dziuba, volunteer Antin Roshchin, serviceman Anatolii Borychevskyi, dissident Levko Lukianenko, members of the band "Braty Hadiukiny," as well as Nadiia Yarish and Sean Penn.
Zelenskyy stressed that the laureates make Ukraine stronger through their work, defend it, tell the world about the country, and preserve and develop Ukrainian culture.
It is precisely from such people that Ukraine is made up—people who are brave in their actions, caring, and endowed with character and talent
Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of unity
The president noted that the "National Legend of Ukraine" award was first presented in 2021 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine's independence. According to him, after that, the state faced its greatest challenge—a full-scale war.
We are now marking 35 years. And we have our state, we have independence, and we have our strong warriors
He thanked the Ukrainian military and citizens, as well as international partners who support Ukraine and help draw the world's attention to the war.
We are fighting not simply for survival. We are fighting for our independence, for our lives. We are able to achieve all this thanks to unity