Defence Minister Naď presents prizes to pupils and students – winners of MOD's creative art and literary competitions

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, joined by Commander of the Strategic Crisis Management Centre Brig Gen Martin Remeš, welcomed the winners of the MOD Drawing and Painting Contest – Soldiers Through the Eyes of Children 2022 and the MOD Literary Competition 2021 to the Ministry of Defence, to offer his congratulations and present prizes to them.

Speaking at the prize ceremony, Jaroslav Naď said: “The entries of these young people have revealed how intensely they perceive the military profession, security, peace, war and the suffering that comes with it. I am immensely pleased with how pupils and students see the work of soldiers and the Ministry of Defence and the preciousness of peace. It is an honour for me to congratulate you on your well-deserved victory and encourage you to remain interested in defence and security issues.” It goes without saying that the teachers and parents of the young contestants as well as the organisers have my thanks, he added.

The 21st MOD Drawing and Painting Contest – Soldiers Through the Eyes of Children allowed primary school pupils to explore the work and life of servicemen and women through art. A total of 328 primary schools and 28 individuals participated in the contest. The winners were selected by an expert panel of judges made up of artists, soldiers and MOD civil servants. A total of 2, 545 competitive entries – including drawings, paintings, collages and graphics – were received and judged this year.

The 17th MOD Literary Competition chose the Oath of Allegiance as its last year's theme for students of secondary and tertiary educational institutions. An expert panel of judges, involving Armed Forces personnel and MOD civil servants, selected the finalists out of 112 short stories and essays written by 105 students. The best competitive entries were published on the MOD's Facebook at www.facebook.com/mosr.sk and the winners were chosen by the public in an online vote. After the announcement of the results in December 2021, however, they could not be received by the Defence Minister due to the pandemic restrictions.

There were military and cultural elements to the MOD programme for the winners: a tour of the MOD Hall of Fame, a presentation of the SVK military deployments, and a visit to the Soldiers Through the Eyes of Children Exhibition at a shopping mall in Bratislava's Nové Mesto. The exhibition is still open to the public for the next four weeks.