A group of holders of Russian awards has entered into direct cooperation with the aggressor after 2022.
Amid the diplomatic scandal with Poland, Ukrainian politicians and officials are widely refusing Polish awards. At the same time, there are still many awards from Russia. RBC-Ukraine reported who they are and what their position regarding the aggressor country is now.
Leonid Kuchma: remains a holder of the Russian Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class, which was personally awarded to him in 2011.
Vladimir Litvin: has held the Kremlin's Order of Friendship since 2011; currently works at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and finances assistance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Metropolitan Onufriy: has the Order of Friendship since 2013; later, a Russian passport was found in his possession.
Sergey Kivalov: holds two awards from the Russian Federation - the Pushkin Medal (2009) and the Order of Friendship (2013); in 2024, he was injured in Odessa during shelling by the Russian Federation.
Mikhail Dobkin: received the Order of Friendship in 2010; in the spring of 2022, he was ordained as a deacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and began assisting the army.
Leonid Kuchma
The second president of Ukraine condemned Russia's aggression back in the early days of the full-scale invasion. However, he still remains a holder of the Russian Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class.
The decree on his award was signed by Putin on April 20, 2004 - before the start of the Orange Revolution - with the wording "for significant personal contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and Ukraine."
Interestingly, Kuchma received the order late - only in 2011. It was personally presented to him by then-President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
Despite the public break with Moscow, there is no information about the official refusal of the second President from the Kremlin's order. The Russian side has also not reported on stripping him of this award.
Vladimir Litvin
A people's deputy of several convocations, former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, and ex-head of the President's Administration, Litvin received the Order of Friendship in 2011 "for significant contribution to the development and strengthening of friendly relations and cooperation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine."
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Litvin condemned Russian aggression and, during 2022-2023, with his foundation, provided military vehicles to the military and humanitarian aid to civilians.
Litvin currently works at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. On his Facebook page, he primarily shares his own scientific articles and monographs that expose the use of history by the Kremlin as a weapon.
Sergey Kivalov
A people's deputy of several convocations and former head of the Central Election Commission has a whole collection of awards from the Kremlin. In 2009, Dmitry Medvedev awarded him the Pushkin Medal.
In 2013, Vladimir Putin personally awarded Kivalov again with the Order of Friendship for "significant contribution to the preservation and popularization of the Russian language and culture abroad."
After the start of the large-scale war, the former people's deputy condemned Russia's aggression. The law academy in Odessa, which he heads, regularly reports on assistance to the military, transfer of equipment, and organization of humanitarian hubs for displaced persons.
Kivalov himself remains in Ukraine and is involved in education. In May 2024, during another Russian shelling of Odessa, Kivalov's famous residence, known to the public as the "Harry Potter Castle," was damaged, and the former deputy was injured.
Metropolitan Onufriy (Orest Berezovsky)
The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) received the Russian Order of Friendship in 2013 from Putin with the traditional wording - "for significant contribution to the development of friendly relations between peoples and strengthening spiritual traditions."
On February 24, 2022, Onufriy formally condemned Russia's full-scale invasion, calling it "the sin of Cain," and expressed support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Later, the UOC declared its "independence" from Moscow, but did not sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Scandals still erupt around the head of the church: in particular, in 2023, a journalistic investigation by "Ukrainian Truth" discovered a Russian passport in Metropolitan Onufriy’s possession.
Initially, he denied having it, but later explained that he received the document back in Soviet times and now considers himself "a citizen of only Ukraine."
Mikhail Dobkin
The former people's deputy, ex-head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, and ex-mayor of Kharkiv received the Russian Order of Friendship in October 2010. He earned the award from Medvedev for "significant contribution to the development of cross-border cooperation with the Russian Federation."
With the onset of the full-scale invasion, Dobkin radically changed his rhetoric, condemned the actions of the Kremlin, and stated that "for him, this country no longer exists."
Photos and videos circulated on social media showing Dobkin in the Armed Forces of Ukraine uniform in de-occupied territories of Kharkiv, which sparked lively discussions in society. Later, Mikhail Dobkin's daughter confirmed that her father completed courses and serves in the National Guard. Additionally, Dobkin was ordained as a deacon of the UOC (MP).
Today, Dobkin leads a low-profile life. His former ally in the "Opposition Bloc" Alexander Feldman noted that Dobkin actively helps the army financially.
Collaborators
At the same time, there is a large group of politicians awarded by Russia who have become state traitors.
Some fled to Russia after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 - former president Viktor Yanukovych (Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow from the Russian Orthodox Church), ex-prime minister Mykola Azarov (Order of Honor), and former education minister Dmytro Tabachnyk (Order of Friendship), as well as former people's deputies Vadym Kolesnichenko and Oleg Tsarev (both holders of the Pushkin Medal).
Another group of holders of Russian awards has entered into direct cooperation with the aggressor after 2022.
Putin's godfather Viktor Medvedchuk (Order of Friendship), former people's deputy Andriy Derkach (Order of Friendship from the Russian Orthodox Church), and several other fugitive politicians are now in Russia or in occupied territories, where they officially support the aggressive war against Ukraine.
Former people's deputies Yevhen Balitsky and Volodymyr Saldo head the occupation administrations in southern Ukraine, for which they have already received orders "for merits to the Fatherland" of the 3rd class from the Kremlin during the large war.
Question – Answer (FAQ):
– Which Ukrainian politicians have the Russian Order of Friendship?
– This Kremlin award was received by former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Vladimir Litvin (in 2011), ex-head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Mikhail Dobkin (in 2010), and former head of the Central Election Commission Sergey Kivalov (in 2013).
In addition to politicians, the head of the UOC (MP) Metropolitan Onufriy has been a holder of this Russian order since 2013.
– What award from Vladimir Putin did Leonid Kuchma receive?
– The second president of Ukraine is a holder of the Russian Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st class. The decree on the award was signed back in April 2004, but Kuchma received the distinction late - in 2011 from the hands of then-President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.
– Which Ukrainian figures received the Russian Pushkin Medal?
– This state award of the Russian Federation for the popularization of Russian culture abroad is held by Sergey Kivalov (awarded in 2009), as well as former fugitive people's deputies Oleg Tsarev and Vadym Kolesnichenko (both received awards in 2013).
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