Russian Journalist’s Nobel Peace Prize Fetches Record $103.5 Mln at Auction to Aid Ukraine Children

The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is held by a handler before the start of an auction benefiting Ukrainian children, at The Times Center in New York, New York, US, 20 June 2022. (EPA)
The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is held by a handler before the start of an auction benefiting Ukrainian children, at The Times Center in New York, New York, US, 20 June 2022. (EPA)
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Russian Journalist’s Nobel Peace Prize Fetches Record $103.5 Mln at Auction to Aid Ukraine Children

The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is held by a handler before the start of an auction benefiting Ukrainian children, at The Times Center in New York, New York, US, 20 June 2022. (EPA)
The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is held by a handler before the start of an auction benefiting Ukrainian children, at The Times Center in New York, New York, US, 20 June 2022. (EPA)

Dmitry Muratov, the co-winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and the editor of one of Russia's last major independent newspapers, auctioned off his Nobel medal for a record $103.5 million to aid children displaced by the war in Ukraine.

All proceeds from the auction, which coincided with the World Refugee Day on Monday, will benefit UNICEF's humanitarian response for Ukraine's displaced children, Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale in New York, said in a statement.

Muratov's Novaya Gazeta newspaper, fiercely critical of President Vladimir Putin and his government, suspended operations in Russia in March after warnings from the state over its coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Pressure against liberal Russian media outlets has been continuous under Putin, Russia's paramount leader since 1999, but it has mounted after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Muratov was attacked with red paint in April.]

Russia's mainstream media and state-controlled organizations follow closely the language used by the Kremlin to describe the conflict with Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation" to ensure Russian security and denazify its neighbor. Kyiv and its Western allies say it is an unprovoked war of aggression.

According to US media reports, the auction of Muratov's prize shattered the record for any Nobel medal that has been auctioned off, with reports saying that the previous highest sale fetched just under $5 million.

"This award is unlike any other auction offering to present," Heritage Auctions said in a statement before the sale.

"Mr. Muratov, with the full support of his staff at Novaya Gazeta, is allowing us to auction his medal not as a collectible but as an event that he hopes will positively impact the lives of millions of Ukrainian refugees."

Muratov, who co-founded Novaya Gazeta in 1991, won the 2021 the Nobel Peace Prize with Maria Ressa of the Philippines for what the Nobel Prize committee said were "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".

Muratov, who pledged to donate about $500,000 of that prize money to charities, dedicated his Nobel to the six Novaya Gazeta journalists who have been murdered since 2000.

That list included the journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a critic of Russia's war in Chechnya, who was killed in 2006 in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building.



KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award
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KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

KFSHRC's Organ Transplant Center of Excellence Wins Innovation Award

King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) Organ Transplant Center of Excellence (OTCoE) has received the Innovation Award in the Regional Institute Category at the Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW) 2025, in recognition of its pioneering contributions to transplant innovation and regional impact on patient care. Consultant of Transplant, Hepatobiliary, and Pancreatic Surgery Dr. Yasser Al Nemary accepted the award on behalf of OTCoE during the ADGHW ceremony held at the ADNEC Center in Abu Dhabi.
Since 2011, OTCoE has performed more than 6,600 organ transplants, including kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas procedures, reaching a record high with 1,096 organ transplants. It has also achieved several surgical firsts, including the world's first fully robotic liver transplant and the region's first robotic pancreas transplant performed on a type 1 diabetes patient, SPA reported.
With over 5,000 kidney transplants completed and 500 successful paired kidney exchanges under its pioneering Kidney Paired Donation Program, OTCoE is a regional and global reference for multidisciplinary collaboration and patient-centered innovation.
"This award affirms our drive to transform organ transplant through innovation and precision, powered by a team relentlessly committed to advancing patient care," said OTCoE Executive Director Dr. Dieter Broering.
The ADGHW Innovation Awards celebrate transformative achievements in healthcare, spotlighting institutions that improve patient outcomes, expand access, and drive progress through innovation.
For the third consecutive year, KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world's top 250 Academic Medical Centers. According to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings, it is recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East. Additionally, it was included in Newsweek magazine's World's Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025.