Moldova National Prize 2025: Olympians and artists honoured
Eleven prominent Moldovan figures – including artists, musicians, athletes, coaches, and writers – have been named recipients of the 2025 National Prize.
Among the recipients are Varvara Buzilă, Dumitru Erhan, Mihail Agafița, Denis Vieru, and other notable names.
For this year's edition, 26 nominations were submitted and evaluated by the Commission for the Awarding of the National Prize.
Denis Vieru was recognised for his world tournament performance, including a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"This is proof of two decades of work. It was perhaps the sport that chose me, not the sport me. I am grateful to my team and the loved ones who stand by me, working tirelessly. I thank the country, that country which proves day by day, year after year, that it is progressing. They are good, and in the future, they will prove that they deserve all the appreciation and esteem of the entire world," said Denis Vieru, International Master of Sport.
Varvara Buzilă was honoured for her contributions to the protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage.
"The prize is highly valuable because it marks excellence – not necessarily my own, in this case, but that of everyone working in museums and researching traditional culture, as I have done over the past 45 years," stated Varvara Buzilă, Head of the Ethnography Department at the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History.
Among the recipients are Dumitru Erhan, a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, and Ștefan Rusu, a Doctor Habilitatus in biological sciences and a lecturer and researcher.
"This award compels us to work twice, even three times as hard in our research activity," said Dumitru Erhan.
The awards were given to those who did not seek recognition but fully deserved it, declared President Maia Sandu, who presented the distinctions.
"The award you receive today is also a call to continue to inspire, to train, and to share your experience with those younger than you," specified Ms Sandu.
"We have the middle generation working diligently, alongside representatives of our seniors, and this award serves as a tribute to their lifelong dedication to culture, research, sports, and museography," emphasized the Culture Minister, Sergiu Prodan.
Names of the 2025 National Prize Laureates: The recipients will each receive 100,000 Moldovan lei.
For the National Prize, the Government annually grants up to ten awards, each of which includes a diploma, a medal, and a financial reward of 100,000 Moldovan lei.
Translaiton by Iurie Tataru
