President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported honoring a number of prominent figures with the "National Legend of Ukraine" state award, including American actor Sean Penn, restaurateur and humanitarian activist José Andrés, footballer Ihor Belanov, journalist Alla Mazur, and musician Yevhen Stankovych.
"Today we are honoring outstanding people with the ‘National Legend of Ukraine’ state award. People of whom Ukraine is proud, values, and is grateful to. Rostyslav Lazarenko, Anatoliy Kushch, Alla Mazur, Ihor Belanov, Yevhen Stankovych, José Andrés, Tiberiy Silvashi, Asan Charukhov, Oleksandr Dziuba, Antin Roshchyn, Anatoliy Borychevsky, Levko Hryhorovych Lukyanenko, ‘Braty Hadyukiny’ – Serhiy Kuzmynsky, Pavlo Krakhmaliov, Mykhailo Lundin, Ihor Melnychuk, as well as Nadiya Yarish, Sean Penn," according to the president’s Telegram post.
"It is very important that Ukraine has such people who, through their work, make our country stronger, change it, protect it, tell the world about it, preserve and develop what we are proud of today, and always remain nearby," Zelensky emphasized.
According to him, it is precisely out of such people that Ukraine consists – "courageous in actions, caring, people with character and talent."
