The jury of the Grand Stories: Family Treasure contest is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s edition. The competition attracted a total of 123 submissions from 25 countries, demonstrating a remarkable diversity of perspectives and deeply personal engagements with family history and heritage.
The submitted works were evaluated in three age categories: 7-12 years, 13–17 years, and 18+.
First Prize Winners
7 - 12 category
The First Prize has been awarded to “The Yellow Hands of My Great-Great-Grandmother Rufina” by David Ruiz Szcześ (Poland), for its powerful recognition of the impact of war on families, and for its moving storytelling and emotional depth.
13- 17 category
The First Prize goes to “A Relic Beneath the Old Apple Tree” by Gabriele Sławinska (Lithuania, 16), not only for uncovering a compelling family story, but also for skilfully placing it within a broader historical context and offering a deeply personal and emotional interpretation.
18+ category
The First Prize has been awarded to “Grandma’s Very Strange Jewel” by Virginie Drocourt (France), for its detailed reconstruction of her grandparents’ fate during the Second World War and for portraying a personal journey towards maturity and the courage to confront her family’s past.
Honourable Mentions
Given the exceptionally high quality of the submitted works, the jury also decided to award several Honourable Mentions in all three categories:
7 - 12 category
- “The Medal PRL – a Capsule of the History of My Grandfather and the History of Poland in the Twentieth Century” by Michał Rynkiewicz (Poland)
- “Family Watch” by Alicja Skolicka (Poland)
- “My Most Prized Possession” by Christopher Pisani (Malta)
- “My Crochet Story” by Amelie Adam (Romania)
- “Wiktoria Means Victory” by Alicja Szela (Poland)
13 - 17 category
- “An Inspiring Treasure from the Past” by Gabriel Solomon (Romania)
- “Family Treasure: A Sweet Legacy from Bucuria” by Marina Sprinceana (Moldova)
- “The Two-Hundred-Year-Old Oak Wardrobe” by Jan Peska (Poland)
- “The Guardian of Us All” by Teodora Ciulinaru (Romania)
- “Heinrich and Charlotte Kwiatkowski” by Patryk Drażba (Poland)
- “Life on Yellowed Pages…” by Anastasiia Drohobytska (Ukraine)
- “The Emigrant’s Chest” by Julia Kowalczyk (Poland)
- “She” by Juliette Guéricolas (Canada)
18+ category
- “The Geography of Absence” by McCall Mash (US/Germany)
- “The Match House: My Father’s Journey to Canada” by Anita Foster (Canada)
- “When the Past Does Not Let Go” by Edgaras Bolsakovas (Lithuania)
- “The Secret That Rescued Lives and the Future… The Holodomor in the Memory of My Lineage” by Yelyzaveta Sylka (Ukraine)
- “The Story of Julius Löwenrosen” by Eva Neuschlová (Czech Republic)
You can read the distinguished works in the gallery at: https://enrs.eu/grandparents-grand-stories-2026#results
The jury warmly congratulates all the winners and participants for their outstanding contributions, creativity, and thoughtful reflections on family history.