Russian journalist's Nobel auctioned for $103.5M; donated to children displaced by war

NEW YORK: Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov's Nobel Peace Prize, which was auctioned off for raising money for Ukrainian child refugees, sold for USD 103.5 million on Monday night, breaking the previous record for a Nobel.

The previous record for the most paid Nobel Prize medal was in 2014 when James Watson sold his medal for USD4.76 million. He was awarded the Nobel for the co-discovery of the structure of DNA in 1962.

Muratov won the coveted medal in October 2021. He was the editor-in-chief and also helped found the independent Russian newspaper before it was shut down in March amid the Kremlin's crackdown on journalists and general dissent following the Russian occupation of Ukraine.

After announcing that he would donate the USD 500,000 cash award that accompanied the prize to charity, Muratov also wanted to auction off his prize. He said that his idea for the donation "Is to give the children refugees a chance for a future."

The proceeds of this auction will be directly given to UNICEF and its efforts to help war-displaced children affected by the Russian invasion. When melted, the 175 grams of 23-carat gold in Muratov's medal would be worth about USD 10,000.

Muratov told the Associated Press in an interview before the auction, that he was particularly concerned about the plight of children orphaned by the conflict in Ukraine. "We want to return their future," he said.

He added that the international sanctions against Russia do not preclude access to humanitarian aid, such as drugs for rare diseases and bone marrow transplants.

"It has to become a beginning of a flash mob as an example to follow so people auction their valuable possessions to help Ukrainians," Muratov said in a video released by Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale but is not taking any share of the proceeds.

Muratov's Nobel Peace Prize last year was shared with Maria Ressa, a journalist from the Philippines.

Two journalists, each with their medals, were honoured for their struggle to protect freedom of expression in their respective countries despite being attacked by persecution, their governments and even death threats.

Muratov was highly critical of Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014 and the war that began in February, displacing nearly 5 million Ukrainians to other countries for safety, creating the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II.

Independent Russian journalists have been subjected to surveillance by the Kremlin, if not targeted by the government.

More than two dozen journalists have been killed since Putin rose to power more than two decades ago, which includes at least four who worked for Muratov's newspaper.

Muratov said he was attacked with red paint in April while boarding a Russian train.

Muratov flew from Russia to Western Europe on Thursday to begin his journey to New York City, where the live auction will begin Monday afternoon.

Online auctions began on June 1 to coincide with International Children's Day. As of early Monday, the highest bid was USD 550,000.

The purchase price had been expected to spiral upward, but perhaps not over USD 100 million. "It's a very bespoke deal," said Joshua Benesh, the chief strategy officer for Heritage Auctions.

"Not everyone in the world has a Nobel Prize to auction and not every day of the week that there's a Nobel Prize crossing the auction block." Since 1901, its inception, there have been approximately 1,000 recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, literature, and the advancement of peace.

The ongoing war and international humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those affected in Ukraine are bound to stoke interest, Benesh said, adding it's hard to predict how much someone would be willing to pay for the medal. "I think there's certainly going to be some excitement Monday," Benesh said.

"It's such a unique item being sold under unique circumstances. A significant act of generosity, and such a significant humanitarian crisis." Muratov and Heritage officials said even those out of the bidding can still help by donating directly to UNICEF.

Source - PTI