Czech President Pavel presented Ukrainian President Zelenskyy with CZ 75 Order of the White Lion pistol
Prague (May 5, 2023) ― The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, visited Ukraine together with the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová on April 28, 2023. Both met with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. On that occasion, President Pavel presented President Zelenskyy with a hand-engraved CZ 75 pistol from the Order of the White Lion edition as a state gift. This continues the tradition of the highest Czech constitutional officials who present the quality and tradition of Czech industry through the products of Česká zbrojovka.
"I am honored that President Pavel chose a hand-engraved pistol made by Česká zbrojovka as an official state gift to President Zelenskyy. This gift represents not only the industrial tradition of the Czech Republic, but also its support for Ukraine in its heroic combat against Russian aggression and the defense of our Euro-Atlantic values," said Jan Drahota, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Colt CZ Group.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Colt CZ Group has supported the efforts of the Czech, American and Canadian governments to assist Ukraine. In close cooperation with the Czech Ministry of Defence, the AMOS Agency and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, the Group has been involved in providing material assistance, part of which has included donations of firearms and other materiel to the Ukrainian armed forces.
In connection with this state gift, Colt CZ Group will hold a charity auction of an NFT "Digital Twin" of the CZ 75 Order of the White Lion pistol with serial number RBL-022. It is a so-called virtual imprint of the firearm that the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, presented to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the collection account of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic to support the Ukrainian army. BlockTrust, the company that provides Colt CZ Group with the technical solution for online NFT auctions, has waived its fee for this auction in favor of the collection account. Those interested in the NFT auction can find more information at https://hub.coltczgroup.onblocktrust.com/.
Colt CZ Group has already donated several of its products to charity auctions, the proceeds of which have been sent to the collection account of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic for support of the Ukrainian army. In March 2022, a gala evening hosted by Forbes magazine and the Freedom for Ukraine initiative raised CZK 5 million to help Ukraine by auctioning a CZ 75 limited edition Tobruk pistol. In November 2022, Colt CZ Group donated a set of two hand-engraved pistols – a CZ 75 and a Colt 1911 – from the Tribute to Legends limited edition, which commemorates the 2021 merger of Česká zbrojovka and Colt. One third of the total proceeds of CZK 1.7 mil. were donated by Colt CZ Group to the collection account of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic to support the Ukrainian army, while the remaining two thirds were gifted to the Military Solidarity Fund and the Police and Firefighters Foundation. The collection account also received part of the proceeds from online auctions of NFT tokens associated with the Order of the White Lion and Tribute to Legends limited editions.
The CZ 75 Order of the White Lion pistol was created to commemorate the centenary of the Order of the White Lion award – the highest state decoration bestowed on citizens of the Czech Republic and foreign nationals for extraordinary service to the Czech Republic, significant merits for the defense and security of the state and for spreading the good name of the country abroad.
Each CZ 75 Order of the White Lion pistol is decorated with Czech national symbols, in the form of linden tree leaves and a double-tailed lion. The controls, extractor, grip screws, and magazine base plate are gold-plated. A shield with a crowned, two-tailed lion from the lesser coat of arms of the Czech Republic is from 14k gold and set into the right-hand side of the frame.
The pistol presented to President Zelenskyy is housed in a specially decorated case, which is lined with blue microplush and includes a dedication from President Petr Pavel in the Ukrainian language.
About Colt CZ Group SE
Colt CZ Group (Colt CZ) is one of the leading producers of firearms for military and law enforcement, personal defense, hunting, sport shooting, and other commercial use. It markets and sells its products mainly under the Colt, CZ (Česká zbrojovka), Colt Canada, CZ-USA, Dan Wesson, Spuhr, and 4M Systems brands.
Colt CZ Group is headquartered in the Czech Republic and has production facilities in the Czech Republic, the United States, Canada, and Sweden. It employs more than 2,000 people in the Czech Republic, the USA, Canada, Sweden, and Germany. Colt CZ is owned by Česká zbrojovka Partners SE from 76.9%, with the remaining 23.1% being a free float.
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