On October 22 in Moscow, at the Central House of Journalist the ceremony of
awarding the winners of the international competition for print media journalists
“Despite” named after Larisa Yudina was held. Since 1999 the competition, established
by “Novaya Gazeta” newspaper, Glasnost Defense Foundation and “Yabloko” Democratic
Party of Russia, is held annually on the birthday of the Chief Editor of “Sovetskaya
Kalmikia” newspaper Larisa Yudina, killed in June 1998. The winners of the competition
are the representatives of the “fourth estate” that perform their professional
duty despite all the obstacles. Since 2002 the competition has become international,
and this year journalists of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
took part in it. The 20 awardees of “Despite-2004” also include two Armenian
journalists: Valeria Zakharian (“Novoe Vremya” newspaper) and Aristakes Ghazinian
(“Golos Armenii” newspaper).
