Participation in the Invasion of Ukraine Is Now Treated Like Merit in WWII Settlements with the title of “military valor” first appeared ahead of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War. The first bills granting this status to cities and other territorial units were introduced in the Murmansk and Ryazan regions. Over the years, the initiative spread to other regions. It was seen as a continuation of the federal practice of awarding the status of “City of Military Glory,” which began in 2006. In 2020, Putin signed a decree establishing the status of “City of Labor Glory,” awarding it to places whose residents contributed to the wartime effort during WWII. Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov became the first to use the existing status of “settlement of military valor” in connection with the war in Ukraine. But while previously the title was proposed for participation in battles on a settlement’s own territory, Solodov shifted the focus to the number of men who had gone to fight. In April 2024, he announced that Sedanka had the highest percentage of participants in the war in Ukraine relative to its population. After visiting Sedanka in 2025, Solodov instructed the regional parliament to draft a bill introducing the titles “Settlement of Military Valor” and “Village of Military Valor.” According to the document adopted on November 28, a village or settlement can receive this honorary status if at least 15% of its adult male population is participating or has participated in the invasion of Ukraine. “No Toilets, No Water Supply. Life Has Stopped Here”: What It's Like to Live in Sedanka In November 2024, women in Sedanka told Governor Solodov they couldn’t even leave the village, one large family would need to pay nearly 100,000 rubles just for plane tickets. Only basic groceries are sold locally. For clothing or shoes, residents have to fly to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Getting there takes about 18 hours, including a flight from the neighboring village of Tigil. Kamchatka Life published a report in August 2024 calling Sedanka “the most depressing place” their journalists had seen in the region. “People here are not living a traditional way of life and don’t even try to preserve their culture. They are trying to survive. There are no reindeer, and most of the working-age fishermen have been sent to the front lines. All housing was built in Soviet times and is now rotting from mold. Most homes have no toilets or running water. Life has simply stopped,” the journalists reported. Locals say garbage is collected once every two months, and there’s barely any work. Women are employed in the social sector; men work at the local boiler facility run by Kamchatka Southern Electric Grids. In summer, no one wears open shoes, the village is covered in soot. The local school is in disrepair. Residents, like Tatyana Inylova, said they’re forced to fix it themselves, as the authorities won’t fund repairs. Each year, sewage overflows into puddles across the village, making the air unbearable. Draining it is impossible. “People are tired of complaining,” one resident told Kamchatka Life. Pride, Grief, and Hopes for Repairs: How Sedanka Residents Reacted to the New Honorary Status In the Telegram channel of Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, a post about recognizing Sedanka as a “village of military valor” received mostly positive feedback. “It’ll be nice for the defenders if the village gets this title. Their bravery matters and sets an example,” commented a user named Katerina Borzova. One commenter asked: if half the men in Kamchatka go to war, would the governor be proud and propose naming the entire region one of military glory? Another user, Evgeny Andreev, replied: “It’s not about pride. It’s about honoring these people’s courage. I think it’s the right thing to do, especially for the guys themselves.” Some Sedanka locals expressed hope that the new title would help improve their living conditions. Maybe the government would finally fund home repairs. “Every house needs repairs. These plans are encouraging. Let’s just hope they come true,” wrote Galina Urkachan. Governor Solodov said funds were allocated for homes of soldiers’ families. Urkachan may have hoped the new status would benefit all residents, not just those with relatives at war. But the law on honorary titles in Kamchatka does not mention support for regular villagers. Solodov’s post got 17 negative reactions compared to 241 positive ones. Based on chat activity, some critical comments were likely deleted by the channel’s moderators. On VK, the governor’s identical post received only supportive comments. Anastasia Ivanova said she was proud that Sedanka became the first village in Russia to receive the title for “special military operation” service. Svetlana Shabashova added: “As long as they come home alive. Heroes should carry on their family lines.” In August 2025, a 7x7 journalist compared official data with Mediazona’s casualty list and found that five men from Sedanka had died in the war in Ukraine, and one more was missing. | 
