This year’s Nobel diplomas were revealed at the Nobel Peace Center Saturday. The peace prize laureates will receive an art work by the famous Norwegian artist Håkon Bleken.

Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022. In addition to the prize money and the gold medal, they will receive a Nobel diploma. The diploma changes every year, and this year’s motives were revealed at the Nobel Peace Center on Saturday. They are signed by the Norwegian artist Håkon Bleken.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee reviews the drafts for the diploma almost as carefully as we review the candidates”, chair of the Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen said. “I think you will all see that the motives are very much open to interpretation.”

A DIPLOMA WITH LONG TRADITION

The original Nobel diploma, that was used at all the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies up until 1969, was drawed by Gerhard Munthe. From 1970 up to and including 1990, the diploma was adorned with a woodcut by Ørnulf Ranheimsæter. In 1991 it was decided that the diploma should be given a new appearance each year by means of an original work of art commissioned from a contemporary Norwegian artist. Last year, the 93 old Norwegian artist Håkon Bleken was chosen to design the diploma for three years. 

“HE KNOWS”

The diplomas were revealed at an event at the Nobel Peace Center on Saturday, with a lecutre from Berit Reiss-Andersen and a panel discussion about this year’s prize. Representatives from the two organisations Memorial and Center for Civil Liberties took part via video link. During the event, Inna Sangadzhieva from the Norwegian Helsinki Committee revealed some good news about the imprisoned laureate Ales Bialiatski: 

“Ales Bialiatski knows that he received the prize. I just got a message, and he knows.”