Sternenko receives «Golden Heart» award from Zelenskyy

Zelensky awarded volunteer Sternenko «with a Golden Heart». Photo: facebook.com/sternenko

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded 45 Ukrainian volunteers with the «Golden Heart» award.

The President's Office website published the relevant decree №880/2025 of 4 December, according to NikVesti.

Among the awardees is Serhiy Sternenko, founder of the Charitable Organisation «Charitable Foundation «Sternenko's Community».

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«For a significant personal contribution to the provision of volunteer assistance and the development of the volunteer movement, in particular during the implementation of measures to ensure the defence of Ukraine, protect the security of the population and the interests of the state in connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and overcome its consequences, active civic position», the document says.

Serhii Sternenko was born on 20 March 1995 in the village of Sadove, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district, Odesa region, to a border guard and a teacher. In 2016, he graduated from the Odesa College of Economics, Law and Hotel and Restaurant Business, in 2019 he received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Mechnikov Odesa University, and in 2022 he completed a Master's degree in International Law at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Since 2014, Sternenko has been actively involved in civic activities. He joined Euromaidan in Odesa and later became its leader. He took part in the Revolution of Dignity in Kyiv, in particular in the confrontations on Hrushevskoho Street. In 2014, he became the head of the regional centre of the Right Sector in Odesa, and later left the organisation.

Sternenko has been suspected of criminal offences several times, including violence and weapons possession. In 2023, the Prymorskyi District Court closed the case of self-defence and dropped all charges of premeditated murder against the activist.

As a reminder, the volunteer was attacked on the afternoon of 1 May 2025. Later, a CCTV recording of the attempted murder of Serhii Sternenko was published.