Before the winners of the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize are announced on September 9 at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, the medal itself needed to be produced by the prize's foundation.
The development of the medal involved studying hundreds of those of similar competitions, as well as numerous consultations with both Russian and international specialists in heraldry, history and art.
As a result, the foundation's staff developed a unique design for the medal. A portrait of L.N. Tolstoy, whose name the prize bears, appears alongside his autograph on the front and the name of the laureate and the year of the award on the reverse.
Taking into account other prizes elsewhere in the world, as well as the level and significance of the award, it was decided to make the medal from gold.
The crucial stage was selecting a manufacturer for the medal.
In close cooperation with the experts of Moscow Mint, a branch of JSC "Goznak," which has extensive experience in manufacturing state awards, as well as the latest equipment and highly qualified specialists, the final parameters of the medal were established: diameter—65 mm, weight—247.9 g, made of 585 gold with gold plating of 99.9 purity.
In October 2023, the order for the medal's production was placed and, by the end of the year, the medal was ready. Overall, the cycle from concept to completion took about a year.
The laureate of the prize will also be awarded a laureate diploma. Its design was also developed by the foundation's staff and approved by the founders and the Board of Trustees.
The dark burgundy leather cover of the diploma features a laurel branch and the name of the prize embossed in gold; inside, it includes the laureate's name, the year of the award, and the reason for the award.