Ukrainian choreographer Ilona Hvozdieva has made a public appeal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy against the backdrop of another round of awards for cultural and artistic figures. On her social media, the artist ironically commented on the presentation of state awards and recalled her own, as she claims, long-standing wait for the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine, the paperwork for which has allegedly been sitting in the archives for five years. This was reported by the entertainment project Styler (RБК-Ukraine) citing the choreographer's Instagram Stories.
An ironic "congratulation" to the head of state
In her publication, Hvozdieva addressed the president in a polemical tone: "I am so glad, Mr. President, when you once again congratulate cultural and art workers and hand out awards and orders to them! Maybe you will finally congratulate me too, because my documents for Honored Artist have been lying somewhere there in the archives for the fifth year in a row, and I still don't deserve it!" Thus, the artist tied her appeal to the public practice of honoring representatives of the cultural sphere, which, in her assessment, has still not touched her personally.
"Hvozdieva is Khomiakchuk": clarification on the surname
Separately, the choreographer emphasized that in documents and potential awards she might appear under a different surname. "In case anyone is wondering, Hvozdieva is Khomiakchuk! It is the same person! Who has numerous awards from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and not a single one from you! Yes, I am still waiting," she wrote. According to the artist, she has a number of awards from the Ukrainian military behind her, but she has still not received a presidential award, which became the core of her public appeal.
The trigger may have been Dasha Astafieva's award
According to Styler's assessment, the trigger for the publication could have been the recent awarding of Ukrainian singer, TV presenter, and volunteer Dasha Astafieva. On November 9, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree awarding her the Order of Princess Olha, 3rd Class. The document notes her significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian culture and art, creative achievements and high professional mastery, as well as volunteer activities and the work of the singer, TV presenter, and founder of the UnderBook book application.
Context: the artist's public stance
Hvozdieva's appeal fits into the broader context of her public activity: the dancer has previously commented on personal and professional topics in open sources, including marital problems. Her current statement to the president, by contrast, has a professional and status-oriented character and aims to draw attention to the issue of conferring the title, which, according to her, has stalled at the archival level. The Styler editorial board reminds readers that the project combines entertainment and lifestyle topics and may not share the viewpoint of the publication's authors.
