On April 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Russian boxers in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin and presented them with state awards. About why it all looked somehow unusual – Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov.
Vladimir Putin met with the boxers after eight in the evening. The wait was long, and the Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev examined both the floor and the ceiling of the Catherine Hall, and talked with everyone and everyone, and only then, standing in the middle of the hall, he focused on the sound in it. He looked up and shouted something, and then said with satisfaction:
– Stereo!
It wasn’t stereo, but Dolby surround at least.
Mikhail Degtyarev also called one of the athletes, and made him shout at the ceiling, and then kept asking:
– No, do you feel it?..
The boxer felt nothing. There was no way to penetrate it.
Why did Vladimir Putin meet with boxers this evening? It’s like you don’t understand. Maybe, for example, because they competed at their last World Championship under the Russian flag and with the Russian anthem and won, to boot. Or maybe for some other reason.
“At the world championships of the past, in 2025, both our men’s and our women’s teams won first places in the team competition,” said the president. “Our professionals also distinguished themselves.”
That is, we were talking about championships even last year.
“Your performances and results are a significant contribution to confirming Russia’s leadership position in world sports, strong and unshakable positions, despite all the unscrupulous attempts to weaken them,” he told the boxers.
And, by the way, Vladimir Putin expressed himself sharply, simply even unusually sharply:
“The shameful, I would say, cowardly, politically motivated behavior of the former leadership of the International Olympic Committee caused enormous damage to the Olympic movement and the very principles of Olympism,” he continued. “Selective sanctions against Russian athletes under the pretext of condemning Russia’s actions to protect our people, our interests in the framework of the conflict in Ukraine, while completely ignoring other similar tragic, numerous armed conflicts on the planet, only exposed corruption and political bias of a significant part of international sports officials!
Anti-Russian sanctions appeared when, as is known, there was neither an armed conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip, nor a war between the United States and Israel with Iran, and Thomas Bach, the then president of the IOC, may have considered sanctions against Russia legal. But he no longer raised his hand to subject, for example, the Israelis to the same sanctions.
“I hope that the new leadership of the International Olympic Committee and international sports organizations will overcome this legacy as soon as possible – the difficult and, as I already said, shameful legacy of their predecessors,” Mr. Putin repeated. “I am sure that you, like your comrades – representatives of various sports, have many more sporting triumphs ahead, including at the largest international competitions, and always under our native flag, accompanied by the Russian national anthem!”
Yes, Vladimir Putin values the International Boxing Association (IBA), without a doubt, for the rightful place of our flag and anthem at its competitions. However, as you know, the IBA, which is headed by Umar Kremlev, cannot feel calm in the conditions of the creation of an alternative association (World Boxing), which unites the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Sweden and other countries that have left the IBA.
“Russia is gradually returning to the world sports arenas, and is doing so with great dignity. Our swimmers, fencers, canoeists, gymnasts, judokas, wrestlers scored bright victories in the last sports season… But, of course, the triumph of the Russian Paralympians in Milan was special, truly unique, without any exaggeration! – exclaimed the Russian president. – The third overall team place was achieved by the composition, as you know about this, which was many times over! — was inferior in numbers to the teams of its main rivals! This is an outstanding result! The victories were achieved, as they say, not by numbers, but by skill, talent and the will to win!
And that’s putting it mildly.
Muslim Gadzhimagomedov, silver medalist of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo and three-time world boxing champion, received a medal of the Order of Friendship and asked the president for permission to speak.
— Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, good afternoon, good evening! We all understood perfectly well that at the World Championships it would be difficult… not easy… not easy for us!.. To some extent, this is what happened… But we were able to bring home a large number of gold medals!..
At first glance, he shook the president’s hand a little strangely, that is, when he greeted him, he also supported his right hand under the elbow with his left. This was not the custom in this gym, and I was surprised until I realized that boxers always did this, that is, everyone else did the same, and also confidently, and even mechanically.
Perhaps the most honored Russian boxer was worried like a child, he was confused, and that’s why the ceremony suddenly became, one might say, touching. That is, now everything was as it should be.
— And taking this opportunity, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I would like to tell you on behalf of all Dagestanis that we are proud of you. Thank you very much for paying attention and helping our republic in difficult times…
At every meeting, Vladimir Putin is thanked for his help in eliminating the Dagestan flood (the day before there was a meeting with municipal workers, and the mayor of Makhachkala devoted himself entirely to this gratitude).
The Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, was awarded to Alexander, I’m not afraid of this word, Besputin, Secretary General of the Russian Boxing Federation. And this award ceremony became, I think, the event of at least the day.
Putin awarded Besputin.
And it could hardly be the other way around.
Well, the Catherine Hall certainly hasn’t seen anything like this.
“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, on behalf of the boxing community I express my deep gratitude to you for the development of our country, sports and boxing in particular,” Alexander Besputin told Vladimir Putin. “I wish you good health and God’s grace!”
He was a clear-eyed man who spoke with all his heart:
— I wanted you to know that boxers always support you in everything. Taking this opportunity, I thank you on my own behalf, on behalf of every boxing representative, on behalf of the athletes, for our commander Alexey Aleksandrovich Rubezhny (the head of the Security Service of the President of the FSO and also the chairman of the Supreme Supervisory Council of the Russian Boxing Federation – A.K.), who is an example of courage and patriotism for us, and our leader of the Kremlin, Umar Nazarovich, who is also an example of efficiency and dedication!
Alexander Besputin found his own words for everyone.
“You have entrusted boxing to good hands,” he concluded. “Thanks to these people, the Russian boxing school today occupies a leading position in the world, and our guys have the honor of singing the anthem of our country and seeing our tricolor rise in this difficult time for the sport!” Separately, I would like to thank Alexey Gennadievich Dyumin (Aide to the President of Russia – A.K.) for the development of sports in our country, for supporting boxers!.. Thank God for everything! I serve Russia!
Boxer from North Ossetia Murat Gassiev, receiving the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, drew attention to this:
— As a very close person in our boxing family said: “Die, but do it!” The Boxers are with you and the Republic of North Ossetia is also with you!
Ilya Popov, world boxing champion, put it even more clearly:
– Thank you for everything we have! – he said, addressing Vladimir Putin.
“Life goes on,” responded Vladimir Putin, “and what is especially pleasant: before we solemnly entered here, into this hall, they whispered in my ear that one of you (women boxing – A.K.) is expecting a child, which is especially nice. I hope that you will be a happy mother and will be able to support another important area in the country’s development – demographic…
She must understand that she is not just giving birth, but supporting the most important direction.
After the award ceremony, when the champagne was served, Murat Gassiev said that on July 11 he would have a fight in which he would defend his world title.
“It’s unknown yet, but most likely in Moscow… And we invite you, if you can do it,” the boxer said to the president.
“Then you can’t have champagne,” said the president.
“It’s non-alcoholic,” the boxer tried to joke.
Vladimir Putin handed over his glass of champagne to another boxer, seeing that the guy didn’t seem to have enough.
The guy was happy, but not for long.
“Give it back!” Umar Kremlev whispered to him reproachfully.
But Vladimir Putin was already being brought another glass.
He would be good with two.
