The 2008 National Award winners for achievements in science and technology featured virologist Joseph Atabekov, astrophysicists Dmitry Varshalovich, Alexei Fridman and Anatoly Cherepashchuk, and information security system specialist Evgeny Kaspersky.
The National Awards for literature and the arts were presented to Marina Flit, curator of the Pavlovsk Palace and Park, the creators of Smeshariki (GoGoRiki) animated television series Anatoly Prokhorov, Salavat Shaikhinurov and Ilya Popov, director of the Sverdlovsk State Philharmonic Alexander Kolotursky, and chief conductor of the Urals Academic Philharmonic Orchestra Dmitry Liss.
The National Award for achievements in the humanitarian field was presented to Valentina Tereshkova.
Later, Dmitry Medvedev hosted a reception on the Kremlin’s Ivanovskaya Square to celebrate the Day of Russia and honour the 2008 National Award winners.