On December 22, 2025, a ceremony awarding the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize was held at the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory. The Prize was conferred upon the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev; the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov; and the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon.
The award was presented to the leaders of the three Central Asian states by Valery Gergiev—Chairman of the Prize’s Jury, People’s Artist of the USSR, Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, and world-renowned conductor. The ceremony took place in the presence of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
The Presidents of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were honored with this prestigious award in recognition of their outstanding personal contributions to strengthening peace, stability, and regional security in Central Asia.
According to the Jury’s resolution, the decisive factor in awarding the Prize was the signing, on March 31, 2025, in the city of Khujand, of the Treaty on the Tripoint of State Borders and the Khujand Declaration on Eternal Friendship. Experts regard this historic document as a pivotal step toward achieving universal and equitable security grounded in the supremacy of international law, as well as toward reinforcing mutual understanding, trust, and good-neighborly relations among the peoples of the three nations.
The Jury emphasized that conferring the Prize embodies a commitment to the humanitarian ideals of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and serves as recognition of the collective efforts to transform Central Asia into a resilient zone of peace, prosperity, and constructive cooperation. It was noted that the new chapter in relations among Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan became possible thanks to the political will of their leadership and the peoples’ shared aspiration for lasting peace and mutually beneficial collaboration.
The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize was established to recognize exceptional achievements in advancing peace, humanitarian values, and intercultural dialogue. Its previous laureates include prominent public, political, and cultural figures from around the world.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 23, 2025