Nina Zhyzneuskaya: Petro Poroshenko Called Mikhail Great Belarusian And Great Ukrainian

Mikhail Zhyzneuski's mother commented on awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to her son.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko posthumously awarded Belarusian Mikhail Zhyzneuski the title of Hero of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president handed the Star of Hero and the corresponding document to Mikhail’s parents – Nina and Mikhail Zhyzneuski.

"I am very happy that our son was given the highest state award of Ukraine, – hero’s mother Nina Zhyzneuskaya told Radio Svaboda by phone from Kiev. – It even eased my heart, because I thought it would never happen. I, as a mother, wanted this to happen as soon as possible. After all, they told different things about our son here, in Belarus, when he died on Grushevsky Street in Kiev during the Revolution of Dignity on January 22, 2014. They called Misha a "Banderite" and a "bandit". An insulting word "traitor" was scratched on the monument at the family cemetery near Homel, where Misha was buried.

It's hard for us, parents, to realize that Misha is not alive.

But our son is a worthy person, Hero of Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko called him "a great Belarusian and a great Ukrainian," who gave his life for the freedom of Ukraine and Belarus."

Nina Zhyzneuskaya says that at the reception at the Ukrainian president’s residence her husband thanked Petro Poroshenko for the moral and material support of their family.

"My deepest gratitude to President Poroshenko. I want to thank the Verkhovna Rada deputies – they have made changes in the national legislation so that foreigners, who fought for freedom and independence of Ukraine, could receive the highest award," – the hero’s mother said.