ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday congratulated Kurdish scholar Rashad Miran on receiving the prestigious Pushkin medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an awarding ceremony on Tuesday celebrating Russian National Unity, Miran, a Kurdish ethnographer and translator, was awarded the Pushkin medal by Putin, making history as the first Kurd to receive the honor.

“I warmly congratulate Professor Dr. Rashad Miran on receiving the Russian State Award (Pushkin Medal),” Barzani said in a statement.

Barzani stressed that the scholar’s efforts “in strengthening Russia's relations with the Kurds, particularly in the fields of culture, language, literature, and history, deserves praise and acknowledgment,” wishing him “continuity and success.”

Similarly, Erbil’s Governor Omed Khoshnaw extended a congratulatory messages to Miran, stating that the occasion “is an important achievement for our people.”

During his remarks, delivered in both Kurdish and Russian, the scholar highlighted the strong ties between Kurds and Russians, and emphasized his academic works’ contribution to strengthening these relations.

Named after renowned Russian author Alexander Pushkin, the Pushkin medal is a state decoration established in 1999, recognizing contributions to the fields of art, education, literature, and culture.