COMMEMORATIVE DRAWING AND ESSAY CONTEST
In honor of the Hungarian Coat of Arms and Flag
March 16, 2019
I. Commemoration of the Hungarian Flag and Coat of Arms
Flags and coats of arms are important symbols of a community and its unity. For us, the Hungarian people, national symbols have a special significance. The main rationale for this is that even though the borders of Hungary do not coincide with the borders of the Hungarian nation, the nation still has shared linguistic, cultural and historical traditions. The most important symbols of unity - next to the national anthem - are the Hungarian flag and national coat of arms.
On November 27, 2018 the Hungarian National Assembly – on the occasion of the 315th anniversary of the election of Francis Rákóczi II as ruler of Transylvania - designated the year 2019 as the Francis Rákóczi II memorial year. Therefore, for this year’s contest - in connection with the memorial year - candidates may submit entries with the theme of “WITH GOD FOR HOMELAND AND LIBERTY!”
II. Contestants
The Hungarian National Assembly by designating March 16th as the Hungarian Flag and Coat of Arms Memorial Day, created a very important holiday to celebrate Hungarian unity. The Research Institute for National Strategy - in pursuance of its mission, undertook a prominent role in the planning of ceremonies and events associated with the Memorial Day – will announce and publicize the contest to preschool, school, and university students in both the Carpathian Basin and to those students scattered throughout the world that affirm their Hungarian identity.
The contestants may submit their entries in two categories (Hungarian Flag and Coat of Arms, as well as “WITH GOD FOR HOMELAND AND LIBERTY!”), and two genres (drawing and essay), and in the case of the drawing contest, seven age groups and in the case of the essay contest, three age groups.
III. Genres - drawing contest and essay contest
1) Genre: drawing contest
Age Groups:
1. age group: preschool & kindergarten
2. age group: 1st-- 2nd grades
3. age group: 3rd - 4th grades
4. age group: 5th - 6th grades
5. age group: 7th - 8th grades
6. age group: High School or Secondary School
7. age group: College or University
(In cases where school system groupings vary, contestants may classify themselves according to their age)
The Commemorative Drawing Contest’s theme, topic, and implementation toolkit:
Contestants may display the Hungarian flag and/or coat of arms, historical flags, or flags representing the Hungarians living outside the current political borders of Hungary, as well as their own original representation of Rákóczi by any technique including drawings, graphics, collages, or any painting technique (monochrome or color), in the context of one’s original ideas, imagination, personal reflection, theme, or in connection with an historical event.
The entries for the first three age groups (Preschool, 1st-2nd grades, and 3rd-4th grades) should be submitted on A4 (21x29.7cm or similar) sized paper. The fourth and fifth age group (5th & 6th grades and 7th-8th grades) on maximum A3 (30x42cm or similar) sized paper, the sixth and seventh age group (High School and University) may use a format of their choice.
In each category, the material used may be the following: paper, cardboard, particleboard, or canvas.
2) Genre: essay contest
Age Groups:
1. age group: 7th - 8th grades
2. age group: High School or Secondary School
3. age group: College or University
(In cases where school system groupings vary, contestants may classify themselves according to their age)
The Commemorative Essay Contest’s theme, topic, and implementation toolkit:
In the essay genre, contestants may select as their theme the Hungarian flag and/or coat of arms, historical flags, or flags/coat of arms representing the Hungarians living outside the current political borders of Hungary, and flags/coat of arms in connection with the life of a historical figure, furthermore contestants may also select to write about Francis Rákóczi II. In a 4,000-10,000 character essay, contestants may, within the framework of their original ideas, compose their essay in the context of the theme, commemorative occasion or historical event. Entries should be submitted digitally in PDF format and in Hungarian. We ask that the contestants submit their essays with the information requested in the rules as well as with their personal e-mail address!
IV. General conditions for submitting entries:
Each contestant may submit one entry in each genre.
The following information must be included on the back (inseparably) of the entries submitted by postal mail or, in the case of electronically submitted entries, in the text of the e-mail:
• the entry’s title
• the contestant’s name
• the genre
• the contestant’s age group
• the contestant’s contact information (tel.number and if available, email address)
• the name of mentoring teacher (if applicable)
• the name and e-mail address of the school
• the name and e-mail address of the organization in the diaspora
How to submit an entry:
For the drawing contest:
• Contestants living within the Carpathian Basin should mail entries to the following address:
Nemzetstratégiai Kutatóintézet 1368 Budapest Pf.: 178., while
• Contestants living in the diaspora should electronically submit entries by scanning and emailing to the following address: rajz@nski.gov.hu
For the essay contest, entries should be sent to the following e-mail address: essze@nski.gov.hu.
Entries must arrive by the deadline of Friday, February 22, 2019 by noon (12:00 CET).
By submitting an entry, contestants agree that the organizers have the right to use winning entries in exhibitions, presentations, and publications with the contestant’s submitted personal information (along with their mentoring teacher’s name).
Entries submitted without the requested information will not be accepted as well as those submitted after the deadline. Designating a mentoring teacher’s name is not required.
The organizers will not be able to return entries!
In the case of a drawing competition, we bring to the contestant’s and mentor teacher’s attention that in scanned format - due to the geographical distance - we only accept entries from Hungarian youth living in the diaspora (e.g. Western Europe or overseas)! Valid applications from the Carpathian Basin - including Hungary, Felvidék, Transylvania, Szeklerland, Transcarpathia, Délvidék and Burgenland - are only accepted by postal mail, as the winning drawings - as in previous years - will be on exhibit at the end of the contest!
V. Recognition of the winners:
The entries are judged by genre and age group. The contest organizers award prizes to the three best-judged entries per age group. The organizers may reward other outstanding entries with special awards.
The mentoring teachers of the award winners (if marked upon the submission of the entry) will also be recognized.
Drawing Contest:
Prizes for winners of the 1-5 age group:
1. prize: 50,000 HUF value of items and books
2. prize: 25,000 HUF value of items and books
3. prize: 15,000 HUF value of items and books
Prizes for winners of the 6th age group:
1. prize: 100,000 HUF value of items and books
2. prize: 50,000 HUF value of items and books
3. prize: 25,000 HUF value of items and books
Prizes for winners of the 7th age group:
1. prize: 150,000 HUF value of items and books
2. prize: 100,000 HUF value of items and books
3. prize: 50,000 HUF value of items and books
Essay Contest:
Prizes for winners of the 1st age group:
1. prize: 50,000 HUF value of items and books
2. prize: 25,000 HUF value of items and books
3. prize: 15,000 HUF value of items and books
Prizes for winners of the 2nd age group:
1. prize: 100,000 HUF value of items and books
2. prize: 50,000 HUF worth of items and books
3. prize: 25,000 HUF worth of items and books
Prizes for winners of the 3rd age group:
1. prize: 150,000 HUF worth of items and books
2. prize: 100,000 HUF worth of items and books
3. prize: 50,000 HUF worth of items and books
Main contest patron:
Dr. Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister for Hungarian Communities Abroad
Contest patrons:
Mária Wittner, ’56 Freedom Fighter
Szilárd István Németh, Deputy Minister, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Defense
Dr. Zoltán Lomnici, President of the Council of Human Dignity, initiator of Prince Francis Rákóczi II Memorial Year
Dr. Zoltán Maruzsa, Deputy State Secretary for Public Education, Ministry of Human Capacities
Jenő Szász, President of Research Institute for National Strategy
The Drawing Contest jurors:
The jury president:
Marcell Jankovics Kossuth Prize winner, Leonardo da Vinci Prize winner, the Hungarian Merit Order cross with star prize-winning graphic artist, film director, Hungary’s Merited Artist, Artist of the Nation, Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts.
Other members of the jury:
Győző Somogyi Kossuth Prize winner, Mihály Munkácsy prize-winning painter, graphic artist, Great Artist of Hungary, Artist of the Nation, a regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts;
Krisztina Rényi Noémi Ferenczy Prize winner, IBBY-winner, the Parisian “Oktogon” grand prize distinguished graphic artist winner;
János Molnár, the Hungarian Culture Foundation and the Jászok Association Eminent Prize decorated painter and graphic artist;
Norbert Tóth, Director of the Forrás Institute of Art.
The Essay Contest jurors:
The jury president:
Mihály Takaró Hungarian Heritage Award winner, Transylvanian Hungarian Heritage Award winner, Hungarian Knight’s Cross Order of Merit writer, literary historian, teacher
Other member of the jury:
Melinda Sebők literary historian, teacher
Other information: The results of the contest will be published by the Research Institute for National Strategy on its website (
www.nski.hu) in the beginning of March. The prize winners will be informed separately about the details of the event. Any other information about the contest can be obtained by writing to the following e-mail addresses:
rajz@nski.gov.hu or
essze@nski.gov.hu as well as by calling +
36 1 896 7547.
Partner: 
