2025 VYZOV Prize Laureates Awarded in Moscow
20 декабря 2025
14:00
The 3rd awards ceremony of the VYZOV Prize for Future Technologies was held in Moscow on December 19th. It included a specially staged performance combining art and science, directed and hosted by Konstantin Bogomolov and featuring Alla Sigalova, Sofya Ernst, Andrei Merzlikin, Yelena Yakovleva, Dmitry Lysenkov, Elizaveta Bazykina, Alexandra Rebenok, Evgeny Tkachuk, Igor Krutoy, Seville and Akmal’.
Russia’s Minister for Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov delivered a welcoming address to the participants and attendees of the ceremony on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which read: “Ambitious and substantive initiatives such as the VYZOV Prize make an important contribution to popularizing science and education and encouraging interest for creative research from young people. This is instrumental for ensuring Russia’s success in social and economic development, strengthening its sovereignty and achieving technology leadership in key areas.”
Artem Oganov and Natalya Tretyak. Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
Artem Oganov, Distinguished Professor of Skoltech and Chairman of the VYZOV Prize Scientific Committee, highlighted the importance of objectivity in its evaluation of award submissions: “The VYZOV Prize Scientific Committee was presented with a plethora of highly valuable research projects. We didn’t select those who decorate the temple of science once it has been built, but those who work to add another storey to it. The world may be unfair, but science believes in objective truth, and those who seek it with dignity and integrity eventually become winners, sooner or later.”
Anatoly Garbuzov, Minister of the Moscow Municipal Government and Head of Department for Investment and Industrial Policy, spoke about how scientific achievements become actual technologies that improve the quality of life: “What the laureates of the VYZOV Prize do takes a lot of hard work. Scientific discoveries and inventions of today evolve into new technologies of tomorrow, enabling new industries and improving the quality of life for Muscovites and visitors to our city. It is very important that Moscow has everything in place for advancing science, expanding industrial potential and developing the economy. And the Moscow Municipal Government will certainly continue to support the VYZOV Prize.”
Konstantin Bogomolov, Principal Director of the VYZOV Prize awards ceremony and Artistic Director with the Malaya Bronnaya Theatre and the Melnikov Stage Theatre, explained why all of the attendees were seated at school desks, and described the concept of the event: “Today, we’d like to take you back to where it all began: school. That is where each of us made our first conscious steps toward maturity. That is where we learned to listen, to memorize and to explore. That is where we made our first discoveries.”
The awards ceremony was co-directed by Executive Producer Evgeniya Bespalova and the WE SHOW production team.
Vera Vil’ was awarded the VYZOV Prize in the ‘Future’ category for developing methods of chemical bond construction using electric current and organic peroxides. She was handed the award by Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Alexey Likhachyov.
“The very name of this category, ‘Future,’ symbolizes what our laureates do: the challenge, the search, the spark of insight, the solution and, of course, the future. It is an opportunity for people to actualize and to implement everything they dreamed of, everything they sought and discovered. This is the first time in the history of the VYZOV Prize that a female scientist comes onstage to collect the award,” Mr. Likhachyov said.
Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
Mikhail Skupov and his co-laureate Alexey Glushenkov took the Prize in the ‘Engineering Solution’ category for developing a technology for industrial production of nitride nuclear fuel. They received their award from Ruslan Yunusov, Co-founder of the Russian Quantum Center and Chairman of the Vyzov Foundation Council.
“Today’s award ceremony is truly remarkable. We are remembering school, our teachers and the continuity. I have a background in fundamental physics, and my father is an engineer. I personally saw from his experience how engineering solutions can change our life for the best. That is why I am especially pleased to be awarding laureates in the ‘Engineering Solution’ category,” said Mr. Yunusov.
Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
Ilia Yampolsky became a Laureate of the VYZOV Prize in the ‘Breakthrough’ category for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of bioluminescence and for creating glowing plants. Director of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova handed him the award.
“One cannot overstate the importance of Ilia Yampolsky’s research. It has enabled us to mark specific cells, such as cancer cells, and keep track of how they spread inside a living organism, such as a human body, how they react to chemotherapy and other treatment methods,” Ms. Skvortsova said.
Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
The VYZOV Prize’s international category, ‘Discovery,’ was awarded to Valery Fokin (USA) for inventing a reaction that launched click chemistry and transformed molecular science as well as the chemistry of living systems. The scientist received his award from Dmitry Zauers, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprombank.
“Whenever you don’t know what to do, the best strategy is to make a first step. And our Laureate made a very bold first step some twenty years ago. Click chemical reactions are simple and efficient, like building blocks, and they enable the creation of unique materials that do not exist in nature. It makes us immensely proud to award our Laureate here, in Russia, where he was born.” said Mr. Zauers.
Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
Minister for Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov awarded Stepan Kalmykov as ‘Scientist of the Year’ for basic and applied research in the field of radiochemistry and radiochemical technologies.
“It is a special honor for me to be awarding Stepan Kalmykov. We have worked side by side with him for more than five years now. He is not only a highly accomplished scientist, an outstanding chemist, but also a brilliant organizer in science. His deep knowledge of university and academic science makes him truly unique,” the minister emphasized.
Photo: Photobank of Vyzov Foundation
CEO of MAER Media Holding Konstantin Mayor told the audience about the large-scale media campaign that will introduce this year’s VYZOV Prize Laureates to millions of people using media facades installed all over Russia: “Science is not something abstract. Today, we are seeing extraordinary people come onstage. And we are putting them in the spotlight for the entire nation to see, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, using our media campaign. More than 5 million people will learn about the VYZOV Prize Laureates and their achievements.”
The Laureates of the 2025 VYZOV Prize shared their emotions after receiving their awards:
“Modern-day chemistry is a big-team science. I would have never made it without my brilliant team, who worked side-by-side with me,” said Vera Vil’, the VYZOV Prize Laureate in the ‘Future’ category.
“I would like to thank the Vyzov Foundation and the VYZOV Prize Scientific Committee. I still cannot entirely wrap my head around receiving this kind of acknowledgement,” said Mikhail Skupov, who took the ‘Engineering Solution’ award.
“I am thankful and truly honored to be joining the numbers of VYZOV Prize Laureates, many of whom I regard as people to look up to,” said Ilia Yampolsky, the winner in the ‘Breakthrough’ category.
“I am proud to have been raised by the Russian school of science, which is daring, principled, confident and always aware of how important it is to experiment,” said Valery Fokin, who won the VYZOV Prize in the ‘Discovery’ category.
“I feel very lucky to have received this award, especially since I work in a young and highly exciting area of science such as radiochemistry,” said Stepan Kalmykov, who was titled ‘Scientist of the Year.’