Laureates of the II Russia-India Afanasy Nikitin Award

On 15 August, Moscow hosted the II Russia-India Afanasy Nikitin Award ceremony. That evening, we honoured individuals and organisations whose work helps Russia and India grow closer in diplomacy, science, education, business, culture and public life. Behind each award lie years of professional dedication, new joint projects, human connections and a sincere commitment to advancing Russian‑Indian cooperation.

We are proud to present the laureates of the 2026 Award!


 Public Diplomacy

Pavel Anatolyevich Shevtsov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo.
Vitaly Petrovich Vasiliev, Director of the Rodnoy Kray Foundation for Support and Development of Regions, President of the ECOprofessional Association of Environmental Protection Specialists.

 Diplomacy

Alexander Mikhailovich Kadakin (1949-2017), distinguished Russian diplomat and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. The award was presented posthumously in memory of a diplomat who devoted a significant part of his life to strengthening relations between Russia and India.
Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev, Russian diplomat and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Education

Indira Adilievna Gazieva, linguist and specialist in Hindi and Indian culture, Associate Professor at the Department of Oriental Languages of the Russian State University for the Humanities.
Pavel Sergeevich Moiseev, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor and head of Derzhavin University.
Sergey Mikhailovich Nikolaev, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, author of more than 120 academic publications and Acting Rector of Pskov State University.
Mikhail Nikolaevich Shvetsov, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor and Rector of Mari State University.

Science

Natalya Valeryevna Galishcheva, Doctor of Economics, Professor and Head of the Department of World Economy at MGIMO University, one of Russia’s leading experts on the economies of India and South Asia.
Elena Railevna Pavlyukova, Senior Researcher at the V.A. Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Scientific Secretary of the Russian National Committee of the International Union of Radio Science.

Human Capital

TrudOrgNabor LLC, an organisation developing international recruitment and helping Russian businesses attract specialists from India.

Tourism

Yury Valentinovich Kiryanov, CEO of India-Tour LLC.

Entrepreneurship

Vladimir Ilyich Akinfeev, a specialist with extensive professional experience, including work at the Russian Embassy in India and in the foreign trade sector.

Traditional Medicine

Dr Naushad Ali Tachaparban, Ayurvedic doctor, cardiac surgeon, founder and Chief Physician of the Atreya Ayurveda chain of centres.
Lyudmila Vladimirovna Shishenina, entrepreneur, founder and head of the Lady Lotos project.

Journalism

Sergey Vladlenovich Strokan, journalist, writer and political scientist specialising in international relations and a commentator for the Kommersant Publishing House.

Legal Support

Sofya Batura, First Deputy General Director of JSC Intrud.

Banking

SberMarketing, a Russian advertising agency within the Sber ecosystem.

Cinematography

Valery Vladimirovich Dobrov, film and television director, screenwriter, producer, lecturer and business coach.

Youth Diplomacy

Aditya Shrivastava, founder of the BHARAT RUSSIA platform, bringing together young people and supporters of stronger Russia-India dialogue.

 Sport

Raj Sanjaevich Polyantsev, English teacher and chess player.

The Afanasy Nikitin Award brings together people from diverse professions, but they all share one thing: concrete work that gives Russian‑Indian relations new ideas, new projects and a human dimension.

Congratulations to all laureates of the 2nd Russian‑Indian Afanasy Nikitin Award!

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