The National Bank of Moldova (NBM) organized today an award ceremony for the winners of the "Symbol of the Moldovan Leu" design contest, a project aimed at promoting the national currency and strengthening its visual identity.

"The National Bank of Moldova reaffirms its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote creativity, national identity and community involvement, especially that of the new generation, in the development of the visual elements of the national currency", said Anca Dragu, Governor of the NBM, at the opening of the event.

The head of the central bank congratulated the participants for their involvement and innovation, emphasizing the importance of a distinctive symbol for the Moldovan leu. "Through this contest, we wanted to provide a platform where artists and young designers could contribute to the creation of a symbol for the Moldovan leu. This project reflects not only the individual talent of the participants, but also their commitment to cultural heritage and national identity", added the NBM Governor.

During the event, Governor Anca Dragu presented prizes to the three winners of the contest: Ilia Nichitov, Dmitri Voloșin and Sergiu Porombac, who each received commemorative silver coins featuring the "Tree of Life" country brand.

Other participants were also awarded with diplomas of appreciation for their valuable contributions, thus recognizing the effort and artistic talent shown in the contest.

The event also included a presentation titled "From concept to symbol: the design process of the national coin and commemorative and jubilee coins", delivered by Corneliu Crețu, Head of the Cash Operations Division of the NBM. Participants had the opportunity to learn about the stages of creating the coin design, the selection criteria, and the importance of symbols in strengthening the national identity.

The guests participated in a guided tour of the National Bank of Moldova’s exhibition hall, where they discovered the collection of commemorative and jubilee coins issued by the NBM. This exploration of Moldova’s monetary history provided a comprehensive perspective on the evolution and significance of the national currency.

The "Symbol of the Moldovan Leu" contest took place from 29 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, and was open to professionals and students from the fields of graphic design, fine arts, and related specialties. Thus, the competition gave young designers the opportunity to express their vision of the Moldovan leu symbol, demonstrating conceptual and visual unity.

The winners were selected by a committee composed of representatives from the National Bank and independent experts, through a secret voting process, during which the identity of the authors of the competing projects remained unknown.