The chapter of the Heorhii Gongadze Prize announced the winner. He is Ivan Liubysh-Kirdei, photographer, cameraman and Reuters war correspondent. The award ceremony took place on May 21 in Kyiv, on the 56th anniversary of the birth of journalist Heorhii Gongadze.
“Both you and I have a lot of work ahead of us. The idea is an independent Ukraine. This award gives me motivation to keep working,” the journalist said at the ceremony.
Ivan Liubysh-Kirdei is a photographer, cameraman, and war correspondent for Reuters. In August 2024, while on assignment in Kramatorsk, he was injured in a Russian shelling of the Sapfir Hotel. After the missile strike, the journalist was in a coma for several months and is currently recovering. Although he is currently unable to work in a combat zone, he continues to film. He captures portraits and stories of people in hospitals who, like him, are recovering from injuries. He emphasizes the importance of supporting in returning to active life – both civilians and military personnel.
In 2015, the media professional also received the annual German award for TV and film cameramen, Deutscher Kamerapreis, in the nomination “Best News Story from a War Zone” for the TV film “Escape from Ilovaisk”, filmed for the German TV channel ARD. He is a holder of the Order of Merit, 3rd degree.
During the awards ceremony, those present also honored journalists who died after the start of the full-scale invasion or were tortured in Russian prisons: Viktoriia Roshchyna, Raian Evans, Arsen Fedosenko, Iryna Tsybukh, and Vira Hyrych.
Let us remind you that the National Accessibility Week is taking place in Ukraine from May 19 to 25. A space of equal opportunities takes into account the needs of each and every person, motivation to build an inclusive environment with equal access for all citizens. The National Accessibility Week takes place within the framework of the implementation of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine by 2030, developed at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska.
