The 2025 National Award for outstanding achievements in human rights work has been awarded to Tatyana MOSKALKOVA.
Tatyana Moskalkova was born on May 30, 1950, in Vitebsk, Byelarussian SSR. She serves as Academic Director of the Human Rights Research and Educational Centre at Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL). In 1978, she graduated from the All-Union Correspondence Law Institute, now Kutafin Moscow State Law University.
From April 22, 2016 to May 14, 2026, she served as Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation. During her tenure, Tatyana Moskalkova made a significant contribution to strengthening the legal framework governing the institution of the Human Rights Commissioner and to establishing uniform principles and legal conditions for the work of regional human rights commissioners throughout the Russian Federation.
Tatyana Moskalkova was directly involved in the drafting and adoption of Federal Law No. 48-FZ On Human Rights Commissioners in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation, dated March 18, 2020. The law established uniform principles, forms, and mechanisms for protecting human and civil rights across all regions, granted regional commissioners broad powers to safeguard citizens’ rights, and reinforced the independence of the regional commissioner institution.
Following the launch of the special military operation, Tatyana Moskalkova focused her efforts and those of her office on providing systematic and coordinated human rights support to Russian military personnel and their families, as well as to civilians affected by the hostilities.
In April 2022, through her human rights diplomacy, 45 truck drivers from Russia and Belarus, who had been stranded in Ukraine at the outset of the special military operation, were repatriated. In October 2022, 117 civilian sailors held in Ukraine were returned. In 2025, 165 residents of the Kursk Region who had been illegally displaced were repatriated. In total, 429 civilians held in Ukraine were returned.
Tatyana Moskalkova also organised the exchange of information between the Russian Federation and Ukraine regarding prisoners of war. As a result of this work, information concerning 9,083 military personnel was obtained and communicated to their families between February 24, 2022 and May 14, 2026.
A total of 3,761 soldiers were returned to Russia through POWs exchanges.
Following identified cases involving blackmail, intimidation, and coercion of relatives of captured Russian servicemen into unlawful actions, law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation initiated and investigated 39 criminal cases at the Commissioner’s request,
Tatyana Moskalkova also organised efforts to reunite separated families, resulting in 43 children being returned to their relatives.
Appeals from citizens concerning issues arising during the special military operation became an absolute priority in Tatyana Moskalkova’s work. Every effort was made to resolve as many humanitarian and human rights issues as possible.
Since her appointment as Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova and her office have reviewed more than 220,000 appeals from citizens and conducted over 25,000 in-person consultations.
She has established respectful and trusting relationships with representatives of all major human rights institutions and organisations, helping to resolve many potentially contentious issues in the field of human rights protection. Tatyana Moskalkova also enjoys considerable authority among foreign human rights commissioners.
She has been awarded numerous state honours and distinctions, including the Order of Honour (2006), the Order of Alexander Nevsky (2020), the honorary title of Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation (2000), and the Order For Services to the Fatherland, Fourth Class (2025).