The ceremony for presenting Russia’s state awards was held in the Kremlin. The head of state presented awards, medals and badges conferring honorary titles to 56 outstanding Russians.
Vladimir Putin presented stars of the Hero of Russia to Great Patriotic War Veteran Aleksei Botian for the courage and heroism he demonstrated during operations to free the Polish city of Krakow and prevent its destruction by German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War, to Taigib Tolboev for courage and heroism demonstrated when testing new aviation equipment, and to militia Colonel Magomed Baachilov.
Various outstanding figures of Russian science, culture and art received awards. In particular, the President presented an Order for Services to the Fatherland II degree to the senior fellow of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training and Research Centre and first female astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova, to academic Andrei Gonchar, and to academic Aleksandr Skrinskii.
Two-time Hero of the Soviet Union and retired Air Force General Vitalii Popkov, and Hero of the Soviet Union, retired Colonel, participant in the Kursk battle and the storming of Konigsberg, Mikhail Bulatov, received high-level awards.