President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree awarding Vladyslav Heraskevych the Order of Freedom. The document is dated February 12.
According to the decree, the member of Ukraine’s national Olympic team and skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was awarded for selfless service to the Ukrainian people, civic courage and patriotism in defending the ideals of freedom and democratic values.
Earlier, Vladyslav Heraskevych became the center of controversy at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina over his “helmet of remembrance” featuring portraits of Ukrainian athletes who were killed as a result of Russian aggression. The International Olympic Committee banned the use of the helmet during official events, describing it as a “political statement,” and on February 12 the athlete was disqualified and barred from competition.