Brig. Gen. Leonid Kondratiuk received a 2026 Military Appreciation Award last month in recognition of his service in the Army and his contributions as a military historian.
“You know, in this business, you don’t get a lot of thanks, the people who provide records or research assistance and so on,” Kondratiuk said. “It’s nice to be thanked, so this really meant a lot.”
The award, presented to him on June 11, was created in 2025 by the Executive Office of Veterans Services to recognize “the contributions of veterans, active-duty service members and military families from across Massachusetts,” according to the press release from Rep. Dave Rogers’ office.
The military historian was nominated by Rogers and received the citation at a small ceremony at the Belmont Veterans Memorial.
Kondratiuk, a Massachusetts native who grew up in Dorchester and Roslindale, moved to Belmont in 1999 after serving on active duty in the Army and cultivating an extensive career mapping military history at the Pentagon, as the chief historian of the National Guard, and as the former National Commander of the Ukrainian American Veterans. His research has focused mainly on charting the history of the National Guard and local militias, as well as unearthing the untold stories of veterans.
As the director of Historical Services in the Office of the Adjutant General, Kondratiuk brought to light the experiences of several hundred veterans, which led the Army to award dozens of medals to those individuals and their next of kin.
Now, as the accomplished historian begins to step away from his role in the Adjutant General’s office, he is passing along his wealth of knowledge to the next generation. James MacDonald, the museum’s curator, and John McGough, a museum historian, describe Kondratiuk as a valuable resource and reservoir of information—and someone who cares deeply about the lives and careers of the veterans who serve.
“It really makes sense that someone like [Kondratiuk] would receive this award, because [he] really [brings] attention to these sacrifices that we might not be aware of because they happened so long ago,” said McGough, who received training from Kondratiuk.
Kondratiuk also designed monuments for local veterans and maintained records of Belmont residents who fought in the nation’s wars. He served on the state flag commission and continues to clerk for the Belmont Veterans Memorial Committee, work with veterans as the Commander of Boston’s Ukrainian American Veterans Post 31, and is on the board of the Military Historical Society of Massachusetts.
And as Deputy Commander of the National Lancers, the state’s ceremonial cavalry squadron, Kondratiuk has played both Paul Revere and William Dawes in that organization’s annual reenactment on Patriots’ Day. Crowds flock to the route to cheer on the riders.
“It is gratifying because it makes up for all the hard work,” Kondratiuk said about the crowd. The members of the National Lancers are responsible for maintaining their 40-acre facility and all the horses on the property. It’s one of the many ways Kondratiuk shows his devotion to duty. He is also proud of his position as the National Commander of the 26th Yankee Division Veterans.
“[Kondratiuk’s] service to our country is really outstanding. He is a remarkable person,” said Rogers.
When Rogers awarded Kondratiuk last month, Kondratiuk was dressed in his uniform.
“It isn’t every day you meet a brigadier general,” Rogers said. “To walk up and see him in the uniform with the one star. . .on his shoulder, it’s pretty amazing. . .and he’s a nice guy.”