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Putin-Awarded Teacher of the Year Killed in Ukraine After Military Mobilization
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Gennady Starunov, winner of Moscow’s 2022 “Teacher of the Year” award, has died while serving in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His death was confirmed on July 22 by Mikhail Klochikhin, principal of School No. 1164 and a municipal deputy for Moscow’s Savelovsky district.
Klochikhin made a post on Telegram, stating that the teacher “gave his life fulfilling military duty in Ukraine.” The exact circumstances of Starunov’s death remain unclear, with no details provided on the location or date.
Starunov, a teacher of Civil Defense at the Marshal Chuikov School in Moscow, became well-known for his award-winning contributions to education. In January 2023, he was mobilized and participated in training exercises in Belarus, reports Meduza outlet.
Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov presented Starunov with the Ministry of Education’s “Youth and Professionalism” award at that time.
In late May 2025, Starunov participated in a meeting of the supervisory board of the Russian organization “Russia—Land of Opportunities,” which was held at the Kremlin and chaired by Putin.
During the meeting, Starunov spoke about running the blog “Frontline Notes” and proposed creating a preparatory program for participants in the “Special Military Operation“, allowing them to take part in competitions on the ‘Russia—Land of Opportunities’ platform. Putin personally praised Starunov for his ‘important work both on the frontlines and in social media.’
Earlier, it was reported that Russian schools are increasingly incorporating war-related exhibitions, with museums dedicated to the Kremlin’s “special military operation ” opening alongside patriotic lessons and memorial plaques for killed soldiers.
