Shevchenko National Prize presented in Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in the 65th ceremony of awarding the 2026 Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent said.
"This prize is special because of its atmosphere, its spirit, everything that is now in the air, everything that surrounds us these days. These are very genuine and very powerful emotions that unite our entire state today. What a difficult and long winter it was. And we overcame it," Zelenskyy said during the ceremony.
The president noted that spring is coming not only on the calendar, but is also arriving in Ukrainian culture and art.
Zelenskyy thanked the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the arrival of spring, as well as Ukrainian artists and everyone who creates something new while preserving the heritage of the past.
"And when today Ukrainian music unites all our people – at the front and across the entire country, when it is impossible to get tickets to our Ukrainian theatre, and there are queues at museums and exhibitions – all this is very inspiring. All this is proof that Ukrainian culture… it is modern, it is fashionable, and our culture is alive," he said.
As reported, among this year's laureates is director and screenwriter of the film You Are the Universe Pavlo Ostrikov, as well as the organizers of the exhibition project Alla Horska. The Wind of Resistance.
Other laureates include art historian Olesia Avramenko for art studies and popular science works from the author's series Accent, writer Pavlo Beliansky for the novel To Fight Cannot Retreat, and sculptor Nazar Bilyk for the Memorial to Ukrainian Intelligence Officers and the sculpture series Disturbed Space and Alloy.
Among those awarded for organizing the Horska exhibition were Tetiana Hauk, Olena Hrozovska, Mykhailo Kulivnyk, Kateryna Lisova, and Daria Podoltseva.
Photographer Olena Hrom was awarded for the photo project Stolen Spring.
Director Oksana Dmitrieva received the prize for the performances Vertep and Giraffe Mons at the Afanasyev Kharkiv State Academic Puppet Theatre, The Tempest at the Maria Zankovetska National Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre, and Medea at Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre of Ivano-Frankivsk.
Journalist Oleh Kryshtopa was also awarded for the documentary novel Radio Aphrodite, glass artist Ihor Matsiyevsky for the art project Born in Fire, and curator Valeriy Sakharuk for the cultural and artistic project 30x30. Contemporary Ukrainian Art.
Among the laureates are conductor Yulia Tkach for the media project One Step to Victory, the artistic cycles Figures and Meeting of Epochs, concert programs and archive recordings from 2020-2025; film scholar Serhiy Trymbach for the book Ivan Mykolaichuk. Mysteries of Fate; and writer Yuriy Shcherbak for the book of reflections and prophecies Dead Memory. Voices and Cries.
