Yevgeniya Chirikova

Chirikova has campaigned against the building of a road through Khimki Forest. She also helped convince the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank to "shun the project". Chirikova has been the subject of intimidation because of her campaigning. In 2011 government officials visited her, saying they had been instructed to take away her children because she was abusing them. According to Chirikova, "My reaction was completely unmitigated rage. I recorded myself describing what had happened and posted the video on the web. There were so many calls to the department that they withdrew." ==Awards==

In March 2011, she received the Woman of Courage Award handed over by then-US Vice President Joe Biden. On this occasion, she proposed imposing sanctions on Russian politicians including Minister of Transport Igor Levitin. In 2012, she was a winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, receiving a US$150,000 prize.) to fight similar environmental campaigns to Khimki. In November 2012, Foreign Policy named Yevgeniya Chirikova one of its 2012 Top 100 Global Thinkers. On 19 November 2024, Chirikova was awarded the 23rd Hanno R Ellenbogen Citizenship Award at the Palffy Palace, Bratislava, at a ceremony also honoring Cardinal Dominik Duka (25th), Milan Knazko (24th) and Barbara Day by the Prague Society for International Cooperation and Global Panel Foundation as part of the 35th Commemoration of the Velvet Revolution and 25th Hanno R Ellenbogen Citizenship Award Ceremony. == Family ==

Yevgeniya Chirikova is married to businessman Mikhail Matveyev, candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, coordinator of the Movement to Defend the Khimki Forest. She has two daughters, Liza and Sasha. Her brother is magician Dmitry Chirikov. == See also ==