Heritage Auctions, a US-based auction house, has sold Dmitry Muratov’s 2021 Nobel Peace Prize medal for $103,5 million.
All proceeds will support UNICEF's humanitarian response for Ukrainian refugee children and their families. The live stream of the final bidding was broadcast on Novaya Gazeta Europe’s Youtube channel.
Dmitry Muratov and Maria Ressa of the Philippines won the joint Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. Muratov had announced that he would sell his medal to support the Ukrainian refugees shortly after the war started; his decision was backed by the Novaya Gazeta employees unanimously.
“We have decided to help the victims of this war by giving away our most precious, most valuable property. So we have decided to auction this famous gold medal. It weighs quite a lot, to be honest. This medal is awarded to the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. All the money will go to the refugee children from Ukraine wherever they are now: in Europe, Ukraine, or Russia. This is the whole world’s responsibility to take care of them,” Muratov said.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has approved this, its director Olav Njølstad said: "This generous act of humanitarianism is very much in the spirit of Alfred Nobel. The intended sale is therefore subject to the wholehearted approval of the Norwegian Nobel Committee." The bidding opened on 1 June on the Heritage Auctions website.
A public association called Friends of Novaya Gazeta Europe was announced today in Switzerland. Its main goal is to promote freedom of speech by supporting Novaya Gazeta Europe.
