Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the highest state awards to outstanding figures in the Kremlin. Orders and honorary titles have been awarded to more than 20 Russians who have achieved notable results in science, medicine, aviation, art, business and some other areas.

This is perhaps the first such ceremony since the beginning of the spread of the coronavirus. Previous meetings that took place during the pandemic were more thematic: they brought together people of the same profession or those who were awarded the same awards.

Merit to the Fatherland

The head of state received the leaders in the Catherine’s Hall of the Kremlin. Among today’s laureates is journalist Vitaly Ignatenko. He headed TASS for more than two decades, was Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation for several years and oversaw issues related to the media. Now Ignatenko is the general director of the Public Television of Russia. In addition, he is the permanent president of the World Association of Russian Press (WARP), holding this post since the formation of the organization in 1999. Ignatenko was awarded the highest degree of the Order “For Services to the Fatherland”.

The President presented the same award to 99-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union Boris Kravtsov. In August 1941, he was drafted into the Red Army – during the war, Kravtsov, together with his division, fought back to Stalingrad, participated in the encirclement and defeat of the group of Field Marshal Paulus. Also on account of Kravtsov are fierce battles in the Zaporozhye region, the crossing of the Dnieper and landing on the island of Khortytsia. In May 1944, for the courage and heroism shown during the crossing of the Dnieper, he was awarded in the Kremlin the sign of the highest military prowess – the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Since 1971, Kravtsov was the prosecutor of the RSFSR, and in 1984-1989 – the Minister of Justice of the USSR.