Zelenskyy Awarded Scholarships to 11 Ukrainian Athletes
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded state scholarships to 11 Ukrainian athletes who won medals at the Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic Games. The amount of the payments will depend on the athletes’ results and will range from three to four times the minimum subsistence level for able-bodied individuals. The president signed the corresponding decree on August 20.
The highest scholarships were awarded to athletes who became champions at international competitions. They will receive an amount equal to four times the minimum subsistence level for able-bodied individuals.
This scholarship was awarded to para-athlete Oksana Boturchuk, who became a champion at the XIII Summer Paralympic Games. Yaroslav Denisenko, the swimming champion at the XVII Summer Paralympic Games, will also receive four times the subsistence minimum. The list also includes Oleksandr Dmytrienko, the track and field champion at the XXIV Summer Deaflympics.
Several other Ukrainian Paralympians will receive the same payment. Among them are Oleksandr Doroshenko, the para-athletics champion of the XII Summer Paralympic Games; Yelyzaveta Mereško, the champion of para-swimming at the XV and XVI Summer Paralympic Games; and Stanislav Podolskyi, the champion of soccer at the XV Summer Paralympic Games.
Oksana Shishkova was also awarded four times the minimum subsistence level. She won gold medals in para-biathlon and cross-country skiing at the XII and XIII Winter Paralympic Games. Another athlete in this category is Ivan Shkvarl, who holds the titles of champion of the XIII and XV Summer Paralympic Games in soccer.
Who Will Receive Slightly Less
For silver medalists, the scholarship amount will be slightly lower. Roman Danyliuk, who won silver at the XVI Summer Paralympic Games in para-athletics, will receive three and a half times the minimum subsistence level. The same amount has been awarded to Pavlo Mandzyuk—a silver medalist in cross-country skiing at the XVIII and IX Winter Deaflympics.
The Olympic bronze medalist is in a separate category. Anna Ryzhikova, who won a bronze medal in track and field at the XXX Summer Olympic Games, will receive a stipend equal to three times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied individuals.
Thus, the amount of the payments is directly linked to athletic performance. Champions will receive the largest scholarships, silver medalists will receive slightly smaller ones, and the bronze medalist will receive a payment equal to three times the subsistence minimum.
What the decree provides for
State scholarships are awarded in accordance with current presidential decrees, which establish the rules for supporting Ukrainian champions and medalists of the Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic Games. These are the decree dated August 18, 2004, and the decree dated September 10, 2011. They provide for state support for athletes who have achieved outstanding results at the international level.
This time, 11 Ukrainian athletes made the list. Among them are representatives of track and field, swimming, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and soccer. The decision covers athletes from different generations. The honorees include both participants in more recent Paralympic Games and athletes who won medals in previous years’ competitions.
State scholarships are intended to serve as a form of support for athletes who have represented Ukraine at the most prestigious international competitions and won medals for the country. The amount of each payment will be determined based on their athletic achievements. This is outlined in Presidential Decree No. 743/2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country’s diplomatic team is preparing personnel decisions and new approaches to its work. He specifically mentioned the U.S. direction, where new appointments are expected following consultations. According to the head of state, Ukraine needs concrete results on the international stage.
