The President handed the Star of the Hero of Ukraine to His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr

On July 9 His Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Vladimir made an archpastoral visit to the Diocese of Simferopol, where he congratulated President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych on his birthday. In his turn, the President of Ukraine handed the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church the Order of the State and the Star of the Hero of Ukraine. According to decree № 745/2011 of the head of the state, the highest state award was conferred on His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr “for outstanding personal contribution in strengthening of spirituality, humanism and compassion in society, years-long faithful service to the Ukrainian people on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of ordination and the 20th anniversary of independence Ukraine”