Putin personally awards Pushkin Order to German entrepreneur Bismarck

The German journalist and entrepreneur Alexander von Bismarck, who is close to Russia and has contacts with the AfD and BSW, has been personally awarded the Pushkin Order by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ceremony with several medal awards took place on Russia's national unity holiday on Wednesday in the Kremlin in Moscow, the state news agency Tass reported. The Order of Pushkin honors outstanding cultural achievements or contributions to the spread of Russian culture abroad.

In his acceptance speech, von Bismarck recalled a quote attributed to the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, a distant relative: If Germany and Russia were friends, Europe would also do well. He is also committed to this, he said, according to a Telegram video from the Ria Nowosti agency.

In the past there have been several public points of contact between the former CDU member Bismarck and AfD and BSW politicians. In June he accompanied two BSW MEPs during talks in Moscow. In 2024 he was seen in a photo of a reception at the Russian Embassy in Berlin for the Russian national holiday alongside, among others, AfD parliamentary group deputy Stefan Keuter, as WELT reported at the time.

At the event, to which AfD and BSW politicians from the newly elected state parliament were invited, he said, according to a transcript published by "Compact": "(...) my name is associated with being connected to Russia. I'm constantly in Russia, I talk to everyone in Russia, with artists, with the normal people, with the officials, and if I can help with official contacts in Russia, I'll be there straight away."