Nobel Prize. Amount of the Nobel Prize How much the Nobel Prize is paid

The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious and most famous prize in the world. It has been presented annually in Stockholm and Oslo since 1901 and has gathered a lot of unusual facts around it during this time.

1. THE AWARD WAS BORN TO TAKE EYES FROM NOBEL'S DISCOVERIES

The creator of the award, Alfred Nobel, was an avid pacifist, which did not prevent him from making an impressive capital in the arms trade and the invention of dynamite. He believed that the very existence dangerous weapon should intimidate the enemy, preventing wars, terrorist attacks and bloodshed. The insight was painful. When the papers ahead of schedule buried Alfred Nobel, confusing him with his brother Ludwig, who died in St. Petersburg, he was greatly surprised by the morning headlines: “Death Seller”, “Bloody Rich Man”, “Dynamite King”. In order not to go down in history as a millionaire on blood, Alfred Nobel immediately called a lawyer and rewrote the will, which said after death all multimillion-dollar property should be placed in a reliable bank and entrusted to a fund that would divide investment income into five equal parts and present them annually in the form of an award. The idea was a success: now few people remember who invented dynamite, but even a child knows about the Nobel Prize.

2. ECONOMY WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF PRIZES

Initially, the prize was awarded in five categories: chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and peacekeeping achievements. Later, in 1969, the Swedish Bank added an economics prize to this list. Since the field of economics was not listed in the will, it is handed over not from the Nobel fund, but from the fund of the Swedish Bank, but at the Nobel Prize ceremony. The descendants of Nobel do not support the addition of the economic area to the prize. “First of all,” they say, “this is how the whole meaning of the award collapses. If it is named after Nobel, then it should be awarded only in those areas that Nobel himself listed in his will. Secondly, Nobel simply did not like economists and ignored them in his will not by chance.”

3. PREMIUM FALLS IN PRICE

In terms of the current exchange rate, when the Nobel's movable and immovable property was converted into cash equivalent, the fund received about 250 million dollars. Part of the capital was immediately invested in securities, and prizes were awarded to laureates from the profits. The fund is currently worth $3 billion. Despite the growth of the capital of the Nobel Prize Fund, in 2012 it was decided to cut it by 20% (from 1.4 million to 1.1 million dollars). Such a move, according to the directors of the fund, will help create a reliable financial cushion and ensure a high monetary level of the premium for many years to come.

4. UNUSUAL WINNERS AND NOMINATES

The award was very rarely given to anyone a second time. For all the years of its existence, this happened only 4 times. Federick Segner received both Prizes in Chemistry, John Bardeen in Physics, Linus Pauling in Chemistry and the Peace Prize. The only woman, who received two Nobel Prizes, became Marie Sklodowska-Curie.

Maria Sklodowska-Curie

Stanley Williams, leader of the Crips crime group, was nominated for the Nobel Prize 9 times: as a writer and as a humanist. Initially, the Crips group opposed police lawlessness on the streets of Los Angeles, but when it grew, it turned out to have several police deaths and, for some reason, a bank robbery. Stanley Williams was arrested and sentenced to death. The books that Stanley wrote while incarcerated became bestsellers, and he even won the US President's Award. This still did not soften the hearts of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in 2005 the leader of the Crips gang was executed.

5. PRIZE FOR MATH

Many people know that the Nobel Prize is not awarded in the field of mathematics. Also, many are sure that the reason for this is Nobel's beloved, who went to mathematics. Indeed, in the will, mathematics was originally included in the list of areas in which the prize is awarded, but later crossed out by Nobel himself. In fact, there is no evidence of a romantic story related to the refusal of the Nobel to give the prize to mathematicians. More likely is the fact that the main contender for the prize in mathematics before the death of Nobel was Mittag-Leffler, whom the founder of the prize had long disliked for importunately soliciting donations for Stockholm University. Deciding to be true to himself and not give Mittag-Leffler any money, Nobel crossed mathematics off the list and replaced it with the Peace Prize.

6. BANQUET AFTER THE AWARDS

The banquet is held immediately after the awards ceremony in the Blue Hall of the Stockholm City Hall. The chefs of the restaurant at the town hall and the best culinary specialists, who were awarded the title of “Chef of the Year” in the year of the award, are involved in the preparation of the gala dinner. Three months before the banquet, members of the Nobel Committee taste three varieties of the menu and decide which one is worthy of serving the guests at the banquet. For dessert, ice cream is traditionally served, but its variety is kept in the strictest confidence until the very evening of the ceremony.

The hall is decorated with more than 20,000 flowers from San Remo, and the movements of the waiters are rehearsed to the nearest second. Exactly at 7 pm, guests of honor, led by monarchs, descend into the Blue Hall. The Swedish king leads a Nobel laureate by the arm, and if there is none, then the wife of a physics laureate.

The banquet service has its own unique design: it is made in three colors of the Swedish Empire: blue, green and gold and consists of 6750 glasses, 9450 knives and forks, 9550 plates and one tea cup for Princess Liliana, who did not drink coffee. After the death of the princess, the cup began to be kept in a special mahogany box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen not so long ago.

7. NOBEL IN SPACE

Most often, the name of Alfred Nobel is immortalized by astronauts. In 1970, the International Astronomical Union named a crater on the Moon after Alfred Nobel, though on its dark side. And in 1983, asteroid number 6032 was named after him.

8. WHEN PRIZES ARE NOT AWARDED

If there are no worthy candidates for an award in any of the areas, it is simply not awarded. This has happened five times with the Medicine Prize, four times with the Physics Prize, and most of all with the Peace Prize. According to the rules that were adopted in 1974, the prize can only be awarded during the life of the laureate. The rule has only been broken once, in 2011, when medical award winner Ralph Steiman died of cancer two hours before the ceremony.

9. CASH EQUIVALENT OF THE PRIZE AND STRANGE WAYS TO SPEND IT

The cash equivalent of the premium is floating, but usually amounts to more than a million US dollars. Not every scientist spends such a sum on the development of his scientific research. Ivan Bunin, with all the scope of the Russian soul, spent money on parties. The poet Rene Francois Armand Sully-Prudhomme organized his own prize, which was not as successful as the Nobel, but lasted six years and was awarded to masters of poetry. Hungarian writer Irme Kertes gave his prize to his wife, thus appreciating her heroic loyalty to him in hardship and poverty. “Let her buy herself dresses and jewelry,” the writer commented on her decision, “she deserved it.”

Paul Greengard, who explored the interconnection between nerve cells that later led to the creation of antidepressants, used the award money to create his own Pearl Meister Greengard award. It is often presented as an analogue of the Nobel Prize for women, because in the scientific world, according to Greenard, there is a huge discrimination against women. The scientist dedicated the award to his mother, who died during childbirth.

10. PEACE PRIZE

The most controversial and politically charged of the six areas in which the prize is awarded is the Peace Prize. At different times, such unconditional villains as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin were nominated for the award.

Last year, 2014, Vladimir Putin was nominated for it. Seventeen-year-old Malala Yusufai from Pakistan, who took away the victory from Putin, became the youngest Nobel Prize winner. Her struggle for the education of girls in Islamic countries has led to worldwide recognition and a prestigious award. Radical Islamic groups declared jihad (holy war) to the girl and immediately after the award was given, they tried to kill her, but Malala survived and continues to fight for women's rights to education.

Unlike all other areas, the Peace Prize is not awarded in Stockholm, but in Oslo.

One of the key events in the social and intellectual life of Sweden is Nobel Day - the annual Nobel Prize ceremony, which takes place on December 10 in Stockholm's Studhuset (City Hall).

These awards enjoy international recognition as the most honorable civil distinction. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Economics are presented to the laureates by His Majesty the King of Sweden at a ceremony held on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel (December 10, 1896).

Each laureate receives a gold medal with the image of the Nobel and a diploma. Currently, the Nobel Prize is 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.05 million euros or $1.5 million).

The prizes in chemistry, physics and economics are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the prizes in medicine are awarded by the Karolinska Institute, and the Swedish Academy awards the literature prize. The only "non-Swedish" prize, the Peace Prize, is awarded in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

By the way, the last version of the famous will Nobel signed almost a year before his death - November 27, 1895 in Paris. It was announced in January 1897: “All my movable and immovable property must be turned into liquid values ​​by my executors, and the capital thus collected is placed in a reliable bank. Income from investments should belong to the fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who during the previous year brought the greatest benefit humanity ... The indicated percentages must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who will make the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; the fourth - to the one who will create the most outstanding literary work of an idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the rallying of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses ... My particular desire is that the nationality of candidates should not be taken into account when awarding prizes ... "

Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish inventor, industrial magnate, linguist, philosopher and humanist was born in 1833 in Stockholm to a Swedish family. In 1842 his family moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of what was then Russia. Nobel received an excellent education of international class. He read, wrote, spoke and understood equally well in 5 European languages: Swedish, Russian, English, French and German. Nobel went down in history as the inventor of dynamite, a substance that played an important role in the development of world industry.

Alfred Nobel in his life became the owner of 355 patents, which formed the basis of about 90 enterprises in 20 countries of the world. His brothers Robert and Ludovic, who worked in Russia and later in Baku in the oil fields, contributed to the multiplication of his fortune. Alfred Nobel bequeathed $4 million (today's equivalent of $173 million) to be used as prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine. These areas were close to him, and in them he assumed the greatest progress.

He did not bequeath prizes to architects, musicians and composers. Literature prizes also reflect Nobel's personal interests. In his youth he wrote poetry and poems in English and Swedish, and all his life he was a voracious reader in every language available to him.Prizes in the field of science and literature were supposed to be awarded in Sweden, and the Peace Prize - in Norway. From this will began the history of the Nobel Prize, the fund of which amounted to 31 million crowns.

A year later, on December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died in Italy from a stroke. Later this date will be declared Nobel Day. After the opening of the will, it turned out that almost the entire fortune of Nobel was not available to his relatives, who were counting on this money.

Dissatisfaction was shown even by the Swedish king Oscar II, who did not want finances to leave the country, even in the form of world merit awards. There were also objective bureaucratic difficulties. The practical implementation of Nobel's will turned out to be a very difficult task, and under certain conditions the awards could not take place.

But soon all obstacles were overcome, and in June 1898 Nobel's relatives signed an agreement to renounce further claims to capital. Received the approval of the Government of Sweden and the main provisions related to the awarding of prizes. In 1900, the Charter of the Nobel Foundation and the rules governing the activities of the created Nobel structures were signed by the King of Sweden. The prize was first awarded in 1901.

The Nobel Prize has become the most prestigious prize in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, economics, literature and peace efforts among nations. It is paid once a year from the funds of the fund created according to the will of Alfred Nobel. More than 600 people have become Nobel Prize winners during the 20th century.

Awarding of prizes is not always universally approved. In 1953, Sir Winston Churchill received a literary prize, while the famous American writer Graham Greene never received it.

Each country has its national heroes and often an award or no award is disappointing. The famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren has never been nominated for the award, and the Indian Mahatma Gandhi has never won the award. But Henry Kissinger won the Peace Prize in 1973, a year after the Vietnam War. There are known cases of refusal of the prize for reasons of principle: the Frenchman Jean Paul Sartre refused the literary prize in 1964, and the Vietnamese Le Dik Tho did not want to share it with Kissinger.

Nobel Prizes are unique awards and are especially prestigious. The question is often asked why these awards attract so much more attention than any other awards of the 20th century. One reason may be the fact that they were introduced in a timely manner and that they marked some fundamental historical changes in society. Alfred Nobel was a true internationalist, and from the very beginning of the awards named after him, the international nature of the awards made a special impression. Strict rules for the selection of laureates, which have been applied since the inception of the awards, have also played a role in recognizing the importance of the awards in question. As soon as the election of the current year's laureates ends in December, preparations begin for the election of the next year's laureates. Such a year-round activity, in which so many intellectuals from all over the world participate, orients scientists, writers and public figures to work for the development of society, which precedes the awarding of prizes for "contribution to human progress."

The first Nobel Banquet took place on December 10, 1901, at the same time as the first award ceremony. Currently, the banquet is held in the Blue Hall of the City Hall. 1300-1400 people are invited to the banquet. Dress code - tailcoats and evening dresses. The chefs of the Town Hall Cellar (town hall restaurant) and chefs who have ever received the title of Chef of the Year are involved in the development of the menu. In September, three menu options are tasted by members of the Nobel Committee, who decide what will be served "at the Nobel table." Only dessert is always known - ice cream, but until the evening of December 10, no one, except for a narrow circle of initiates, knows what kind.

For the Nobel banquet, a service and tablecloths with a specially designed design are used. Nobel's portrait is woven on the corner of each tablecloth and napkin. Handmade dishes: along the edge of the plate there is a strip of three colors of the Swedish Empire - blue, green and gold. The leg of a crystal wine glass is decorated in the same range. The banquet service was commissioned for $1.6 million for the 90th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes in 1991. It consists of 6750 glasses, 9450 knives and forks, 9550 plates and one tea cup. The last one is for Princess Liliana, who doesn't drink coffee. The cup is stored in a special beautiful wooden box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen.

The tables in the hall are arranged with mathematical precision, and the hall is decorated with 23,000 flowers sent from San Remo. All movements of the waiters are strictly timed to the nearest second. For example, the ice cream ceremonial takes exactly three minutes from the moment the first waiter appears with a tray at the door until the last of them stands at his table. Serving other dishes takes two minutes.

Exactly at 19:00 on December 210, guests of honor, led by the king and queen, descend the stairs to the Blue Hall, where all the guests are already sitting. The Swedish king leads the Nobel laureate by the arm, and if there is none, his wife Nobel laureate in physics. The first is a toast to His Majesty, the second - in memory of Alfred Nobel. After that, the mystery of the menu is revealed. The menu is printed in small print on the maps attached to each place, and is decorated with a gold-embossed profile of Alfred Nobel. Music plays throughout the dinner - very famous musicians are invited, including Rostropovich and Magnus Lindgren in 2003.

The banquet ends with the removal of ice cream topped like a crown with a chocolate monogram-monogram "N". At 22:15, the Swedish king gives a sign to start dancing in the Golden Hall of the Town Hall. At 1:30 the guests disperse.

Absolutely all dishes from the menu, from 1901 onwards, can be ordered at the restaurant of the town hall of Stockholm. Such a meal costs a little less than $200. Every year they are ordered by 20 thousand visitors, and traditionally the menu of the last Nobel banquet is the most popular.

The Nobel Concert is one of the three components of the Nobel Week, along with the awarding of prizes and the Nobel Dinner. It is considered one of the main musical events of the year in Europe and the main musical event of the year in the Scandinavian countries. The most prominent classical musicians of our time take part in it. In fact, there are two Nobel concerts: one is held on December 8 of each year in Stockholm, the second - in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The Nobel Concert is broadcast on several international TV channels on December 31 every year.Quote from Vladimir_Grinchev

Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize

Medal awarded to Nobel laureate

Nobel Prize(Swede. Nobel prize, English Nobel Prize) is one of the most prestigious international awards, annually awarded for outstanding Scientific research, revolutionary inventions or major contributions to culture or society.

Story

Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, into a family of engineers. He was a chemist, engineer and inventor. In 1894, Nobel acquired the metallurgical concern Bofors, which became the largest arms manufacturer. During his life, Nobel amassed an impressive fortune. He received most of his income from his 355 inventions, among which the most famous is dynamite.

In 1888 Alfred Nobel was "buried alive". In Cannes, Nobel's brother, Ludwig, died, and by mistake of reporters, the newspapers placed an announcement about the death of Alfred Nobel himself, and not his brother. After reading his own obituary in a French newspaper entitled "The merchant of death is dead", Nobel wondered how humanity would remember him. After that, he decided to change his will. On December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died at his villa in Sanremo, Italy, from a cerebral hemorrhage.

The testament of Alfred Nobel, drawn up by him on November 27, 1895, was announced in January 1897

Nobel's testament

“All my movable and immovable property must be turned into liquid values ​​by my executors, and the capital thus collected is placed in a reliable bank. The income from investments should belong to the fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who during the previous year have brought the greatest benefit to mankind ... The indicated percentages must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who will make the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; the fourth - to the one who will create the most outstanding literary work of an idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the rallying of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses ... My particular desire is that the nationality of candidates should not be taken into account when awarding prizes ... "

This will was initially greeted with skepticism. Numerous relatives of Nobel considered themselves deprived and demanded that the will be recognized as illegal. Only on April 26, 1897, it was approved by the Storting of Norway. The executors of Nobel's will, secretary Ragnar Sulman and lawyer Rudolf Lilekvist, organized the Nobel Foundation to take care of the execution of his will and organize the presentation of prizes.

According to Nobel's instructions, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose members were appointed in April 1897 shortly after the will went into effect, became responsible for awarding the Peace Prize. After some time, the organizations that award the rest of the prizes were identified. On June 7, the Karolinska Institute became responsible for awarding the Prize in Physiology or Medicine; On June 9, the Swedish Academy received the right to award the Literature Prize; June 11 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is recognized as responsible for awarding the prizes in physics and chemistry On June 29, 1900, the Nobel Foundation was founded to manage the finances and organize the Nobel Prizes. Agreements were reached in the Nobel Foundation on the basic principles for awarding the prizes, and in 1900 the foundation's newly created charter was adopted by King Oscar II. In 1905, the Swedish-Norwegian Union was dissolved. From now on, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, while the Swedish organizations are responsible for the rest of the prizes.

Prize Rules

The main document regulating the rules for awarding the prize is the statute of the Nobel Foundation.

The Prize can only be awarded to individuals and not to institutions (other than Peace Prizes). The Peace Prize can be awarded both to individuals and to official and public organizations.

According to § 4 of the statute, one or two works can be promoted at the same time, but the total number of awardees should not exceed three. Although this rule was introduced only in 1968, it has always been de facto observed. At the same time, the monetary reward is divided among the laureates as follows: the prize is first divided equally between the works, and then equally between their authors. Thus, if two different discoveries are awarded, one of which was made by two, then the latter receive 1/4 of the monetary part of the prize. And if one discovery is awarded, which was made by two or three, everyone receives equally (1/2 or 1/3 of the prize, respectively).

It also states in § 4 that the prize cannot be awarded posthumously. However, if the applicant was alive at the time of the announcement of the award to him (usually in October), but died before the award ceremony (December 10 of the current year), then the award remains with him. This rule was adopted in 1974, and before that the prize had been awarded posthumously twice: to Erik Karlfeldt in 1931 and to Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961. However, in 2011, the rule was broken when, by decision of the Nobel Committee, Ralph Steinman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine posthumously, because at the time of the award, the Nobel Committee considered him alive.

According to § 5 of the statute, the prize may not be awarded to anyone at all if the members of the relevant committee have not found worthy works among those put forward for competition. In this case, the prize funds are kept until the next year. If the next year the prize was not awarded, the funds are transferred to the closed reserve of the Nobel Foundation.

Nobel Prizes

Nobel's will provided for the allocation of funds for awards to representatives of only five areas:

Physics (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

Chemistry (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

Physiology and Medicine (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

Literature (awarded since 1901 in Sweden)

Promoting world peace (awarded since 1901 in Norway)

In addition, apart from Nobel's testament, since 1969, on the initiative of the Bank of Sweden, the Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, informally referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics, has also been awarded. It is awarded under the same conditions as other Nobel Prizes. In the future, the board of the Nobel Foundation decided to no longer increase the number of nominations.

The laureate is required to deliver the so-called "Nobel Memorial Lecture", which is then published by the Nobel Foundation in a special volume.

The size of the Nobel Prize

The Nobel Foundation was established in 1900 as a private, independent non-governmental organization, with an initial capital of 31.6 million Swedish crowns (in current prices, this amount is equivalent to about 1.65 billion crowns), and in terms of the current (summer 2012) dollar exchange rate - about 250 million dollars. Prizes to laureates were paid out of interest from transactions with securities.

The first prizes were 150,000 crowns (7.87 million crowns in 2009 prices). In the 1980s, the premiums amounted to about 880,000 kroons (in terms of the exchange rate of the early 2010s - about 350,000 US dollars). In the 1990s, the size of the award increased significantly. As of December 2015, the fund had a capital of SEK 4.065 billion and a premium of SEK 8 million, roughly equivalent to US$1.1 million.

In 1992 - 1.04 million US dollars

· In 2000 - 0.9 million USD

· In 2003 - 1.34 million US dollars

In 2004 - 1.46 million US dollars

· In 2005 - 1.25 million US$

· In 2006 - 1.45 million US dollars

· In 2007 - 1.56 million US dollars

· In 2008 - 1.25 million US dollars

· In 2009 - 1.45 million US dollars

· In 2010 - 1.5 million US dollars

· In 2011 - 1.4 million US dollars

· In 2016 - 1.1 million US$

· In 2017 - 1.118 million US dollars.

In 2012, the Nobel Prize was reduced by 20 percent to $1.1 million. This decision was made in June 2012 at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Nobel Foundation. According to the management of the fund, this measure will help to avoid a reduction in the organization's capital in the long term. As the fund said in a statement, money management "should be carried out in such a way that the award can be given indefinitely." “The Nobel Foundation is responsible for ensuring that the amount of the prize can remain at high level long time", - said the executive director of the fund Lars Heikensten. AT last years income received from the use of capital was not enough even to pay the monetary component of the award, reimburse the costs of the award ceremony, as well as to maintain the administrative apparatus. To optimize spending in the fund, in addition to cutting the size of the premium, they also promise to take other savings measures.

What is a Nobel Prize? You can give a short answer to this question. This is a prestigious award given annually to writers, scientists and public figures. But on what basis are these outstanding personalities awarded? Who makes the final decision on awarding a prize to a particular candidate? Exhaustive answers to these questions are contained in the article. It also lists the names of historical figures and writers who were once nominated for the Nobel Prize (Russian and foreign).

Who is Nobel?

Until 1901, no one knew what the Nobel Prize was. Because it simply didn't exist. The award was organized a few years after the death of Alfred Nobel. What preceded this event?

The Swedish engineer, chemist and inventor was born in 1833, the son of an impoverished descendant of the scientist Olof Rudbek. From childhood, Alfred was interested in technology and science. Until the age of sixteen he lived with his parents in Russia. True, the future philanthropist was born in Stockholm. The Nobel father moved to St. Petersburg with his family in 1833.

great inventor

Alfred left his father's house at the age of 16. By that time, the financial situation had improved somewhat, the parents were able to give their inquisitive son a good education. In Europe, Nobel intensively studied chemistry. He was especially interested in explosives - a field of science, research in which led Nobel in 1863 to the invention of dynamite. Four years later, the scientist received a corresponding patent, which later allowed him to become one of the richest people peace.

Without going into details professional activity famous Swede, let's move on to the final part of his biography. It is she who will bring us closer to obtaining a detailed answer to the question of what the Nobel Prize is.

Death merchant

Scientists tend to be fanatical about their own work. Sometimes they commit the greatest crimes in their research without even noticing it. Nobel produced and widely advertised his product without thinking about the consequences of the development of dynamite production. For this, he was nicknamed the "Blood Millionaire". The restless researcher under the offensive nickname would have been remembered by the descendants, if not for one case.

One beautiful spring morning (although it may have happened in the winter frost or autumn bad weather), the world-famous scientist woke up in his Stockholm apartment and, as usual, fondly remembered the passion of his life - dynamite. In a pleasant mood, Nobel went into the living room to drink a cup of espresso and think over a new plan to improve the technology for the production of a mixture based on nitroglycerin. The scientist opened a fresh newspaper... and the thoughts caressing the soul dissipated like yesterday's dream. On the first page, he saw a message about his own death.

The world community would never have known what the Nobel Prize was, if not for the mistake of an absent-minded reporter who, in compiling an obituary, confused the creator of dynamite with his own brother. Nobel was not upset about the death of a relative. He wasn't too upset by his own obituary either. Nobel did not like the definition that the "scribbler" gave him for the sake of a red word - "merchant of death."

Nobel Foundation

In order to change the course of events and not remain in the memory of posterity as a Millionaire on the Blood or the Dynamite King, Alfred Nobel immediately sat down to draw up a will.

So, the document is ready. What does he say? After the death of Nobel, all his property must be sold, the proceeds are placed in an account in a reliable bank. The resulting profit goes to the newly established fund, which, in turn, annually distributes it according to a strict scheme, dividing it into five equal parts. Each of them constitutes a monetary award due to a scientist, writer or fighter for world peace. In his will, Nobel emphasized that the choice of a candidate should in no way be influenced by his nationality or citizenship.

The relatives of the millionaire were furious when they learned about the will, and for a long time they tried to challenge its authenticity. But that's a completely different story.

Candidate Selection Rules

A physicist, chemist, scientist who made a discovery in the field of medicine or physiology, the author of an outstanding literary work can become a Nobel Prize winner.

A public figure who has made a significant contribution to the abolition of slavery and the rallying of nations is entitled to the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee named after the scientist is responsible for it. Other awards are approved by the following organizations:

• Karolinska Institute (medicine or physiology award).
• Swedish Academy (Literature Prize).
• Royal Swedish Academy (prizes in chemistry and physics).

The Prize cannot be awarded posthumously. But if, of course, the applicant died after the announcement of the committee, before he lived to see the presentation ceremony, it is reserved for him. But what if there is no worthy candidate from one area or another? In this case, the award is not awarded, and the funds are kept until the next year.

The amount of the cash prize

The amount is different every year. After all, the profit from transactions, from which premiums are paid, cannot be fixed. So, in 2016, it amounted to $1.1 million. And in 2007 - 1.56 million dollars. In addition, a few years ago, the fund decided to reduce the premium to 20% in order to prevent the organization's capital from decreasing in the future.

It is worth saying that the nomination for the award is an interesting and mysterious process. It is attended not only by members of the organizations listed above, but also by more than three thousand people (usually researchers) working in certain fields, as well as former laureates. The names of the nominees are kept secret for 50 years.

The Nobel Prize is a very solemn event attended by more than a thousand people. The banquet menu and the decoration of the hall in which it is held is a separate topic that cannot be disclosed within the framework of one article. Therefore, let's move on to the most interesting part of our story, namely, the names of the laureates of the most prestigious award. Since their list is very extensive, we will name the most famous personalities, and above all our compatriots.

Nobel Prize in Literature

No matter how talented a writer may be, he will not be awarded this prize if he does not strive to convey the bright, eternal to the readers. It is received by humanists, idealists, fighters for justice and those who have made a significant contribution to the development of literature. In total, 107 prizes were awarded (by 2017). In 1904, 1917, 1966 and 1974, the members of the committee could not find a worthy candidate.

So, Ivan Bunin in 1933 was awarded the prize for the skill that contributes to the development of classical Russian prose. Boris Pasternak after a quarter of a century - for high achievements in lyric poetry and continuation of the traditions of the epic novel. It is worth saying that the title of the work was not included in the justification for the award. Nevertheless, the author of Doctor Zhivago was subjected to severe oppression in his homeland. It was considered good form to scold Pasternak's novel. At the same time, only a few of them read it. After all, the book was banned in the USSR for a long time.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was awarded the prize thanks to his high moral strength and following the traditions of the Russian epic novel. He didn't show up for the ceremony. Not because I was busy, but because they didn't let me in. Belarusian writer Svetlana Aleksievich is the last Russian-speaking Nobel Prize winner. Writer Mikhail Sholokhov was also awarded.

Andrey Sakharov

What Nobel Prize was awarded to the Soviet scientist, one of the creators of the hydrogen bomb? Prizes in physics or maybe chemistry? No. Andrei Sakharov is a laureate of the Peace Prize. He received it for his human rights activities and speeches against the development of nuclear weapons.

As already mentioned, the names of the nominees become known only after 50 years. These once included Leo Tolstoy, Erich Maria Remarque, which is not surprising. Tolstoy is a great humanist. Remarque in his books actively criticized the fascist dictatorship. But some of the names of the Nobel Peace Prize nominees that have become famous are really puzzling. Hitler and Mussolini. The first was nominated in 1939, the second four years earlier. Lenin could also become a nominee for the Peace Prize. However, the First World War intervened.

The Nobel Prize is a nationwide award that has been awarded every year since 1901. It is awarded to the most outstanding chemists, physicists, writers, medical scientists and peacekeepers. The laureate is awarded a medal with a portrait of A. Nobel, a diploma and a monetary reward.

The Nobel Prize is $1.5 million and is never awarded posthumously. The founder of the award is the famous Swedish entrepreneur, chemist Alfred Nobel, who became famous all over the world for having created dynamite.

On November 27, 1895, Nobel signed a will in which he indicated that the property after his death should be transferred to cash and deposit in the bank. All capital income will be controlled by a special fund, which divides them into 5 parts and pays a cash reward.

The first prize was awarded on December 10, 1901, and in 1969 a new nomination was established for specialists in the field of economics. The Nobel Foundation has decided that no more new nominations will be established. The awarding of the prize is carried out by Nobel committees, each of which has 5 people.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences elects committees to determine the best among physicists and economists. Royal Karolinska Institute of Medicine and Surgery in Stockholm - committees in the field of medicine. Swedish Academy - committees to determine the best writers. And the winners of the Peace Prize are chosen by the Norwegian parliament, Stroeting.

The Peace Prize has a specific position. It can be obtained not only by a person, but also by an organization, and it is precisely this that can be obtained more than once. Although, there are exceptions to every rule - the Nobel Prize was received 2 times by Sklodowska-Curie (chemistry and physics); J. Bardeen (twice became a laureate in physics); L. Pauling (Peace Prize and Chemistry).

The award ceremony is held on December 10 in Nobel's hometown - in Stockholm (the capital of Sweden) and only the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo (the capital of Norway). The King of Norway and all The Royal Family. Before the ceremony, the so-called Nobel Week is held - laureate scientists give lectures that are published in a special collection of the Nobel Foundation.

But the most important events of the Nobel Week are the Nobel Concert, which takes place on December 08, and the Nobel Dinner in the Blue Hall of the City Hall. The best and most famous musicians who perform classical music take part in the concert.

The menu for the banquet is compiled back in September and it contains all the dishes that have been on the menu since the first ceremony in 1901. A mandatory condition for the banquet is a strict dress code: ladies are dressed in evening dresses, and men in tailcoats. Usually up to 1500 people attend the Nobel dinner.

The Nobel Prize is the most coveted for many scientists in the world, but some refused to receive money that was earned from human deaths and the use of dynamite.

There is also a parody of the Nobel Prize - the so-called.

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