[6] When Borys was younger, Volodymyr Yavorivsky observed that he was a free poet, with a little oddity here and there, but it was intriguing and he was later admitted into the Union of Writers.

"[8] Upon being elected as People's Deputy in 2012, Borys declared that he was indeed a citizen of the Donbas, citing two reasons: first, President Viktor Yanukovych had heard his poetry, songs, and artistic evenings at the Philharmonic; second, both of them had simply known one other for a considerable amount of years when he was not in politics.

[7] Given the propagandist character of his efforts and their low quality, the title of Hero of Ukraine was viewed adversely by a number of prominent individuals and organizations.

A court appeal of the President's decree was made and the arguments are supported by the evidence that the order was passed in contravention of Article 6 of the Law "On State Awards of Ukraine," which grants Ukrainian people the title in recognition of a noteworthy deed or exceptional work accomplishment.

[15] Yuriy Vynnychuk is adamant that Borys's designation as a Hero of Ukraine came about only as a result of his personal friendship with President Yanukovych.