Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine title to singer Andriy Kuzmenko, also known as Kuzma Skryabin, according to a decree published on Aug. 17, the day the musician would have turned 52.
He died on Feb. 2, 2015 in a car accident in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. His vehicle collided with a milk tanker.
Zelensky honored Kuzmenko “for outstanding personal merits in the formation of the national cultural space, for a significant contribution to the development of national music, and many years of fruitful creative and social activities.”
“His weapons were a pen, s sheet of paper and a microphone. He healed souls with a song, in a word — he inspired to fight for a strong, prosperous and undefeated Ukraine,” claims Zelensky on Facebook.
Besides, 75% financed by the Ukrainian State Film Agency ($1 million), companies Star Media and Atpoint have started making a comedy film based on Kuzmenko’s book “Ya, ‘Pobyeda’ i Berlin” (“Me, ‘Victory’ and Berlin”). The film is to be released in 2021.
Kuzmenko was a Ukrainian singer, poet, writer, TV host and musical producer as well as the frontman of the Skryabin band.
His most popular songs are “Stari fotohrafii” (Old photos), “Liudy, yak korabli” (People like ships), “Mistsia shchaslyvykh liudei” (Places of happy people).
Kuzmenko openly criticized Ukrainian politicians and helped the army after Russia waged war against Ukraine in the Donbas.
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko awarded Kuzmenko the Order of Merit of the 1st grade to Kuzmenko in October 2015.
