During the awards ceremony held on the Russian Print Media Day Vyacheslav Volodin congratulated journalists on their professional holiday and wished them future success and inspiration. "These awards show that your work is really significant for the public and that the role of the print media in society is really great. They are a contribution to your work as reporters, to your professionalism, courage and a sincere and dedicated approach to your vocation," the deputy prime minister said.

"In your publications you make a deep and profound analysis of the current events in Russia and the world expressing different views and positions. Your independent and objective opinion is very valuable to us," Vyacheslav Volodin said. He indicated that this feedback helps to take better management decisions, accept criticism and respond to it and view social problems from different angles.

This year 48 applications were submitted to the Interdepartmental Awards Union at the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, of which 10 were honoured with the award. Each winner received one million roubles.

This year's list included journalists from the Khabarovsk Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Arkhangelsk Region, the Voronezh Region and the Rostov Region. In addition, such national newspapers as Izvestiya, Uchitelskaya Gazeta (Teachers' Newspaper), Rossiiskaya Gazeta and a popular weekly Football received awards.

The award winners included Izvestiya's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Sergei Mostovshchikov, editor of the special issue Izvestiya-Pobeda Andrei Illesh and photographer at Rossiiskaya Gazeta Oleg Prasolov.

The publishing house Uchitelskaya Gazeta and its editor-in-chief, reporters from newspaper Nashe Vremya (the Rostov Region), newspaper Football editor-in-chief and director general and editor-in-chief of the Voronezh newspaper Kommuna also received honorary diplomas and badges of honour.