The 2023 Russian Federation National Award for outstanding achievements in human rights activity has been awarded to Yulia Belekhova.
Yulia Belekhova was born on November 10, 1982, in Noginsk, Moscow Region. Head of the Committee of the Fatherland Warriors’ Families autonomous non-profit organisation. Member of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.
In 2015, Ms Belekhova graduated from the Russian Academy of Entrepreneurship. She began her career working as a carpenter and machine operator as well as a groove cutting operator at an industrial enterprise in 2000–2003. In 2004–2005, she worked as head of production at an enterprise. In 2015, Ms Belekhova became chair of the coordination council at the Association of Representatives of the Moscow Region Apartment Complexes Councils. Since 2019, she has worked as Head of the Moscow Region Executive Committee of the Russian Popular Front. In 2020, she was chosen as a finalist in the Leaders of Russia national competition.
Married, with six children, of whom three are adopted children, including two from the Lugansk People’s Republic. One of her sons was mobilised to join the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces, currently participating in the special military operation.
In 2022, Yulia Belekhova established the Committee of the Fatherland Warriors’ Families (CFWF) public organisation and became its head. The organisation operates by implementing specific projects: the CFWF-Pravo (Law) legal service, the CFWF Is By Your Side project that offers moral and psychological support, and the Heroes’ Wives initiative to hold photoshoots for women wearing their husbands’ military jackets and collect documentary material. The organisation also provides volunteer social assistance service. Also, people can approach CFWF in order to have their parcels delivered to the frontline. The organisation offices work with all military units and battalions, with contacts normally established directly with commanders.
With Ms Belekhova as the committee’s chair, over 6,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid have been collected and sent to the frontline by military personnel’s mothers, wives, fathers and their family members as well as by concerned Russians. The efforts also included making over 15,000 camouflage nets, hundreds of thousands of dry showers packs, trench candles and soup food packs, and knitted and sewed plenty of other items that the soldiers need. Also, CFWF activists have sent 42,000 children’s letters and drawings to the front.
The committee makes an extensive effort to provide assistance to civilians in the new regions and has also taken patronage over certain social institutions such as orphanages in the Lugansk and Donetsk people’s republics.
The committee works to enhance comprehensive support for special military operation veterans and their families, with a service organised for special operation participants’ wives and mothers to help each other. Over the year of its activities, the committee has processed more than 200,000 requests from soldiers as well as members of their families.
Through Yulia Belekhova’s efforts, law service offices are now operating in 51 regions of Russia, offering legal education to military personnel and members of their families, and providing assistance in collecting required documents and forwarding appeals to government authorities and courts to protect their legitimate interests.
In 2023, the Committee of the Fatherland Warriors’ Families, jointly with the Russian Defence Ministry, State Duma, Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and the Civic Chamber drew up over 20 proposals for bills that have already been implemented in both presidential executive orders and federal laws.