Peaceful order: Vietnam's President wins Tolstoy Prize

On July 24, Moscow announced the name of the winner of the International Leo Tolstoy Prize for 2026. The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President To Lam, was awarded the award for his contribution to strengthening peace, mutual understanding and cooperation between peoples. The decision was made by an international jury, which included representatives of Russia and foreign countries.

"The leader of a country that has gone through the ordeal of a hard war"

The prestigious jury included representatives from Russia and other countries, including Argentina, Belarus, India, China, South Africa, Japan and France. The meeting was opened by its chairman, Valery Gergiev, General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, artistic director and director of the Mariinsky Theatre. He joined via video link and noted in his speech that when choosing the laureate, the council was guided by Leo Tolstoy's ideas about peace, humanism and mutual understanding between peoples. That is why he nominated the Vietnamese leader Toh Lam.

The idea was supported by the Director General of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy, the great-grandson of the writer Vladimir Tolstoy.

— This country and this person are doing their best in the situation our world finds itself in today, when many parts of the planet are extremely restless. People are dying, and complex processes are underway to protect their interests. But there must be intermediaries who are able to talk to both sides of any conflict. One of these invisible intermediaries is the leader of Vietnam today. Maybe it's not obvious to everyone, it's a big policy, but we know that these efforts are aimed precisely at preserving peace and tranquility on Earth. He is the leader of a country that has gone through the ordeal of a severe war, and therefore he knows, not in words, but in deeds, that the value of human life, peace and creativity is very high," said Vladimir Tolstoy.

"My grandfather urged countries to respect each other"

The jury's decision was announced by Pierre de Gaulle, a French public figure and grandson of the country's first president Charles de Gaulle. He noted the diplomatic role of the Vietnamese leader in the international arena and the refusal to deploy foreign military forces on his territory.

— I think we should not forget the experience of great philosophers and writers, for example, Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy, and the important idea they conveyed — spirituality. And in Vietnam, there is a religion that recognizes this experience of great ancestors. Toh Lam's choice is especially important to me because my grandfather Charles de Gaulle emphasized in his 1966 speech the special role of the Vietnamese people and the country as a nation that fought for peace and against American hegemony. My grandfather urged countries to respect each other, engage in dialogue and communicate. And this is exactly what we must take into account in our policy today," de Gaulle said.

The peculiarity of the International Leo Tolstoy Prize lies in its exceptional status — it is possible to become a laureate only once. In 2025, the awards were awarded to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.