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Dmitry Zavadsky's Annual Prize “For Courage and Professionalism”

The Prize is an award for professional courage and struggle for freedom of speech.

The prestigious Dmitry Zavadsky's Annual Prize “For Courage and Professionalism” was established in 2001, a year after Belarusian cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky had been abducted in Minsk, and on the initiative of the journalists of the First Channel (Russian TV), who had worked with Dmitry, respected and loved him. The journalists suggested presenting the Prize to Belarusian journalists for their courage and professionalism. Konstantin Ernst, the Director General of the First Channel, and the Belarusian Association of Journalists supported this idea. 5 ceremonies were held during these years where 20 Belarusian journalists, cameramen, press photographers and independent editions were awarded the Prize. In 2006 the Dmitry Zavadsky Foundation that was established at the end of 2005 instituted the monetary award to the best Belarusian journalists.

Selection Of Candidates

The journalists of the First Channel, the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Dmitry Zavadsky Foundation discuss a list of candidates and decide on candidates for the Prize. Names of winners are approved by the Board of Directors of the First Channel.

At present the Prize is given only to the Belarusian journalists as Dmitry Zavadsky lived, worked and was abducted exactly in Belarus. Nevertheless, in future the prize may be awarded to journalists of other countries, who defend freedom of speech in their homeland. 

On September 11, 2006 the winners of the Dmitry Zavadsky Prize became: Andrea Dynko, the editor-in-chief of the weekly “Nasha Niva” and press photographer of this newspaper Yuliya Doroshkevich, and the reporter of the newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi” Oleh Ulevich.

On September 16, 2005 the Prize was awarded to the following winners: a reporter of REN-TV (Russia) in Minsk Elena Slav and a cameraman Vladimir Kostin, a journalist of Radio “Svaboda” Liubov Lunjova, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Golos nad Niemanom” Andrzej Pisalnik and a journalist of “Belarusian Business Newspaper” Sergey Satsuk. 

On September 8, 2004 the Dmitry Zavadsky Prize was given to the informational agency BelaPAN, a journalist of “Narodnaja Volia” Marina Koktysh, a journalist of “Belarusian Business Newspaper” Irina Halip, and a TV reporter Leonid Mindlin.

On September 3, 2003 the Prize was awarded to: Sergey Gritsuk and Vasily Fedosenko, press photographers – representatives of a Belarusian office of “Associated Press” and “Reuter”, and the editorial staff of “Belarusian Business Newspaper”.

On August 30, 2001 the first award-winners of the Dmitry Zavadsky Prize became: Sergey Gelbah – a cameraman of Belarusian office of the correspondents of the ORT TV company (First Channel, Russia), Sergey Pushkin – a cameraman of Belarusian office of the correspondents of the RTR TV company (Russia), Konstantin Morozov  – a cameraman of Belarusian office of the correspondents of the NTV TV company (Russia), Vladimir Andronov – a cameraman of Belarusian office of the correspondents of the TV6  TV company (Russia), Vladimir Babaryko – a cameraman of Belarusian representative office of informational agency “Reuter”.