Zabuzhko and Sentsov receive the Legion of Honor

French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded writer and publicist Oksana Zabuzhko and filmmaker, writer and soldier Oleg Sentsov with France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honor. This was reported by the French Embassy in Ukraine on its Twitter page.

The order was presented by Ambassador Etienne de Poncins in the courtyard of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.

En ce jour de Fête Nationale dans les jardins de la Ste-Sophie, @EdePoncins a l’honneur de remettre au nom du Président 🇫🇷 @EmmanuelMacron , les insignes de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur à Oksana Zaboujko et Oleg Sentsov, personnalités emblématiques et éminentes 🇺🇦. pic.twitter.com/uVm7HoeAGm

— La France en Ukraine 🇨🇵🇪🇺 (@FranceenUkraine) July 14, 2023

On this National Day in the gardens of the Saint Sophia, @EdePoncins has the honor of presenting, on behalf of President @EmmanuelMacron, the insignia of the National Order of the Legion of Honor to Oksana Zabuzhko and Oleg Sentsov, emblematic and eminent personalities.

In a video message, the ambassador called Zabuzhko “a Ukrainian writer known all over the world who fights to protect the Ukrainian language and culture” and Sentsov “a filmmaker, a political prisoner of the Kremlin for 5 years, who was released in September 2019 and is currently fighting courageously at the front.”

“Their names are well known in France and Europe, both of them are now fighting for the freedom and independence of Ukraine,” said Etienne de Poncins. He added that Sentsov was injured in a battle last weekend and was able to attend the award ceremony.

The National Order of the Legion of Honour is the highest order in France conferred by the President of the Republic for military or civilian merit (the highest civilian award). The Legion was established on May 19, 1802. Membership in the order is the highest honor and official recognition of special merit in France.

Among the Ukrainians who have become Knights of the Order are the artist Ilya Repin, anthropologist and ethnographer Fedir Vovk, choreographer Serhiy Lyfar, philosopher Myroslav Popovych, and others.

In 2022, the poet Lina Kostenko was awarded the Legion of Honor.

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Featured photo: Myroslava Barchuk’s Facebook page