Applause rang out in Manhattan when, on the evening of 20 June, the spokesperson for telephone bidder number 303 announced the incredible sum their client was willing to pay for Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov's Nobel Prize medal: $103.5 million.
For comparison, the previous auction record for a Nobel Prize medal was $4.8 million.
But the sale organized by Heritage Auction was no ordinary auction. It was the culmination of a charity project led by Muratov, who wanted to sell the Nobel Peace Prize medal he received last year in support of Ukrainian refugee children and their families through UNICEF.
Muratov is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Novaïa Gazeta, one of Russia's few remaining independent newspapers. He and Filipino journalist Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for their tireless (and often dangerous) fight for freedom of expression. Muratov dedicated his prize to his collaborators at Novaïa Gazeta and six colleagues who'd been murdered, also donating the money received from the prize.
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'A few months ago at Novaïa Gazeta we asked ourselves what we could do to end the war and help these civilians get their lives back,' Muratov said on Monday evening. 'We decided to sell our Nobel Peace Prize medal through Heritage Auctions, who handled the process very efficiently and completely waived all fees and commissions. We thank them'.
Bids for Muratov's medal were accepted online from June 1, which is Children's Day in Ukraine, and rose to $787,500 on the evening of June 20, World Refugee Day, then quickly soared even higher. After about 20 minutes, the medal achieved $16.6 million, before the sensational bid of $103.5 million brought the auction to an end.
The generous bidder, who wishes to remain anonymous, has already paid the sum to UNICEF.
