Igor Volshtein receives million-rouble award for rescuing children

Retired Komsomolsk-on-Amur resident Igor Volshtein has received the Tigran Keosayan award for rescuing two girls. Margarita Simonyan announced the one-million-rouble award on October 11.

He brought the children to safety through a neighbouring balcony during a fire in the flat above his own. According to Simonyan, the ten-year-old girl first handed him her younger sister and then crossed herself.

Volshtein tried to help other people inside, but could not force open the burning flat's door. A mother and four children died in the fire. Moscow 24 reported that the blaze occurred on October 8.

Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and RT, established the award and personally selects recipients. It recognises people who risk their lives to rescue others.

The award was inspired by Buguruslan nursery teachers Liya Galeyeva and Lyudmila Platonova, who protected children from a man with a knife. Previous recipients include St Petersburg street cleaner Khairullo Ibadullayev, who rescued a child, and Kansk student Kirill Tsarulitsa, who helped two children and their mother during a fire.