Young and different: Putin will award opera soloists and Tabakov Theater star

On March 25, Cultural Worker's Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin will present prizes to young artists, authors of significant works, as well as organizations working with children and adolescents. Among the awardees are the director of the Krasnoyarsk Young Spectator Theater, opera and drama theater artists, as well as creative teams implementing projects for the younger generation. On the eve of the award ceremony, Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Mosfilm CEO Karen Shakhnazarov announced the names of the laureates.

The Presidential Award for Young Cultural Figures was established in 2011. It is awarded to authors and professionals under the age of 35 — writers, musicians, artists, actors, architects, as well as employees of theaters, museums and libraries. This is not only a recognition of merit, but also an incentive for further work.

Among the winners is Murat Abulkatinov, the chief director of the Krasnoyarsk Youth Theater, one of the notable directors of the new generation.

Vladislav Miller, actor of the Oleg Tabakov Theater, was awarded for the preservation and development of theatrical traditions. He graduated from the Tabakov Theater School and is already teaching there himself.

The award was also given to Igor Morozov, soloist of the Helikon Opera, and Bolshoi Theater artists Alina Chertash and Polina Shabunina for performing the main roles in Sergei Prokofiev's production of Semyon Kotko.

Each laureate receives a diploma, a badge of honor and 5 million rubles. If there are several winners, the amount is divided equally between them.

The candidates were considered at a meeting of the Cultural Council, which was updated in the fall of 2025. It was headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and director and CEO of Mosfilm Karen Shakhnazarov became his deputy. The secretariat was headed by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. The Council included famous cultural figures, among them Nikita Mikhalkov, Vladimir Mashkov, Valery Gergiev, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Yuri Bashmet, Svetlana Zakharova, Konstantin Ernst and Konstantin Khabensky — a total of 50 people.

To be among the applicants for the award, you need to get at least two-thirds of the votes of the Board members. In 2025, three out of ten applicants became laureates — the decision was made by secret ballot. As Vladimir Medinsky noted, only State Prize laureates and members of the Presidential Council for Culture can nominate candidates.

Projects for children and teenagers were highlighted separately. According to Vladimir Medinsky, specific authors and organizations can now receive the corresponding award.

Karen Shakhnazarov recalled that the award has been in existence for 12 years. During this time, 43 people received it, including composers Yuri Entin and Alexey Rybnikov, actor and director Alexander Galibin. This year, nine applications were submitted for consideration, of which two organizations and one candidate were submitted to the President.

The prize for the development of choral art will be awarded to Anatoly Kislyakov, artistic director of the V. S. Popov Large Children's Choir, who has been leading the collective for more than twenty years. Detsky Radio will be awarded for creating an educational environment for children, and the Museum of the History of Military Uniforms will be awarded for its work on preserving historical memory and patriotic education of young people.