On July 9, the TASS news agency held a solemn ceremony of presenting certificates to the ambassadors of the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize Foundation.
The ceremony was attended by the Foundation's President, Doku Zavgayev, the Deputy Director General of TASS, Marat Abulkhatin, as well as the Foundation's ambassadors: Stanislav Naumov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Lindiwe Sisulu, a South African statesman and politician, and Dzhambulat Umarov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic.
Speaking to the audience, Doku Zavgayev and Marat Abulkhatin welcomed the new ambassadors and emphasized the importance of their mission in strengthening international humanitarian cooperation.
"The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize has been awarded and has demonstrated its political maturity and high moral authority. The Prize was highly praised by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, who noted that "the recent initiative to establish a peace prize named after Leo Tolstoy has been highly sought after and has had a significant public and international impact."
The results achieved by the Peace Prize are very encouraging and would not have been possible without the support of our colleagues, associates, and partners. I would like to express my gratitude for their regular and insightful publications that promote the high ideals of building trust between nations in the media, including foreign media. The coverage of the Peace Prize, its recipients, and the award ceremony in 2025 alone has garnered over a billion views in various parts of the world.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone who actively supports the noble aspirations of the Tolstoy International Peace Prize with their creative ideas, organizational efforts, and financial donations. We are forming an ambassador corps and considering incoming candidates," said Doku Zavgayev.
The Foundation's ambassadors are selected from among prominent Russian and foreign public figures who have high authority and make a real contribution to strengthening peace.
"The world needs a fundamentally new, constructive approach to relations between countries. The Tolstoy International Peace Prize encourages those who embrace a new philosophy of international relations, advocating for a multipolar, just, and mutually beneficial world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations," said Ambassador Stanislav Naumov.
"My decision to become an ambassador for the L.N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize is not so much about duty as it is about a call from the heart. For me, it means sharing hope with those who have lost it, hearing voices that go unnoticed, and consciously choosing to be human every day," said Lindive Sisulu.
Jambulat Umarov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic, said: "In the face of growing international tensions, we must set an example of peaceful coexistence. After serving for over five years as Minister of the Chechen Republic for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press, and Information, I am clear that peace is a daily choice in favor of dialogue. As an ambassador of the Foundation, I intend to be a voice of stability, reason, and mutual respect, and I will convey this message with utmost honesty and consistency."
The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize:
The Prize is established with the aim of encouraging individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to strengthening peace, mutual understanding and cooperation between nations on the basis of the principles of non-violence, humanism and intercultural dialogue.
The ceremony was attended by the Foundation's President, Doku Zavgayev, the Deputy Director General of TASS, Marat Abulkhatin, as well as the Foundation's ambassadors: Stanislav Naumov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, Lindiwe Sisulu, a South African statesman and politician, and Dzhambulat Umarov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic.
Speaking to the audience, Doku Zavgayev and Marat Abulkhatin welcomed the new ambassadors and emphasized the importance of their mission in strengthening international humanitarian cooperation.
"The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize has been awarded and has demonstrated its political maturity and high moral authority. The Prize was highly praised by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, who noted that "the recent initiative to establish a peace prize named after Leo Tolstoy has been highly sought after and has had a significant public and international impact."
The results achieved by the Peace Prize are very encouraging and would not have been possible without the support of our colleagues, associates, and partners. I would like to express my gratitude for their regular and insightful publications that promote the high ideals of building trust between nations in the media, including foreign media. The coverage of the Peace Prize, its recipients, and the award ceremony in 2025 alone has garnered over a billion views in various parts of the world.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone who actively supports the noble aspirations of the Tolstoy International Peace Prize with their creative ideas, organizational efforts, and financial donations. We are forming an ambassador corps and considering incoming candidates," said Doku Zavgayev.
The Foundation's ambassadors are selected from among prominent Russian and foreign public figures who have high authority and make a real contribution to strengthening peace.
"The world needs a fundamentally new, constructive approach to relations between countries. The Tolstoy International Peace Prize encourages those who embrace a new philosophy of international relations, advocating for a multipolar, just, and mutually beneficial world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations," said Ambassador Stanislav Naumov.
"My decision to become an ambassador for the L.N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize is not so much about duty as it is about a call from the heart. For me, it means sharing hope with those who have lost it, hearing voices that go unnoticed, and consciously choosing to be human every day," said Lindive Sisulu.
Jambulat Umarov, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic, said: "In the face of growing international tensions, we must set an example of peaceful coexistence. After serving for over five years as Minister of the Chechen Republic for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press, and Information, I am clear that peace is a daily choice in favor of dialogue. As an ambassador of the Foundation, I intend to be a voice of stability, reason, and mutual respect, and I will convey this message with utmost honesty and consistency."
The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize:
The Prize is established with the aim of encouraging individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to strengthening peace, mutual understanding and cooperation between nations on the basis of the principles of non-violence, humanism and intercultural dialogue.
