Press Release, 16.01.2026

Photo: Albert Esedov and Magamed Ibragimov / Photo by the Union of Journalists of Russia in Dagestan

On 13 January, Russian Press Day, Albert Esedov, Chairman of Yabloko in Dagestan, member of the board of the Dagestan Regional Branch of the Union of Journalists of Russia (UJR), and renowned journalist in Russia, was presented with one of the Union’s highest awards – the Badge of Honour “For Services”.

The award was presented to the journalist by the head of the Dagestan Regional Branch of the Union of Journalists of Russia, Magamed Ibragimov. He noted Albert Esedov’s many years of significant contribution to the development of journalism in the Republic of Dagestan, his professional mastery and active civic position.

“The event was given particular symbolism by the fact that the professional holiday coincided with a personal one – on this day Albert Esedov was celebrating his birthday,” the Union of Journalists’ statement ran. Magamed Ibragimov congratulated Albert Esedov on the double celebration, wishing him robust health, inexhaustible energy and new creative successes.”

The Badge of Honour “For Services” is recognition of great professional merit and many years of fruitful work in journalism. However, this is not the first award Albert Esedov has received from the professional association: in 2024, Esedov was awarded the Badge of Honour “For Services to the Professional Community”, and in 2025 a Certificate of Honour from the Union of Journalists in Dagestan.

It should be noted that Albert Esedov has been working with information for about 25 years – during this time he has worked in various media outlets, headed press service departments, and collaborated with numerous regional and federal mass media. Today he is one of the opinion leaders in the region and is well known to media representatives, bloggers and news agencies.

He himself admits with light irony that his journalistic path was “predetermined”:

“I was born on 13 January, on Press Day, so what other career could I have chosen in the end but to link my life with the information sector? But if I speak seriously, and not only about myself but about the work of journalists in general – particularly in Dagestan – I would like to emphasise the importance of this activity. This work requires not only openness and honesty, but also courage. Journalists do not merely transmit messages from the authorities, parties’ ideologies, decisions of officials or individual persons; they also work with the population, every day highlighting people’s problems – private and general, long-term and topical. It is this information, amongst other things, that the authorities then work with – and if the authorities are adequate, if they listen to people, to their voters, they build their work around people. That is, around the messages that journalists record and transmit to a wide audience. This is a very important connection, and ensuring it is journalism’s task.”

In this respect, Dagestan is one of the strongest regions, Albert Esedov emphasises. The high level of journalism here is determined by the activity of the media, attention to the region’s development not only from major editorial offices but also from private bloggers, authors of Telegram and YouTube channels, the attention of their readers and subscribers, and people’s willingness to respond to journalists’ enquiries and inform the media about events and problems. Hence, the regional Union of Journalists is amongst the twenty strongest branches of the Union of Journalists of Russia.