Awakening. Photo: Vitaly Berkov, the participant of the RGS's contest "The Most Beautiful Country"
The Russian Geographical Society announces the start of accepting entries for the XI Photo Contest «The Most Beautiful Country». We ask professionals and amateurs to share their best pictures of our beautiful Russia by March 31 and invite you to compete for the main prize: 250,000 rubles.
The large-scale media project «The Most Beautiful Country» is dedicated to Russia’s wildlife and promoting an attitude of care towards the environment. The ideas of the contest, its structure, and categories are based on the enormous experience that the Russian Geographical Society has accumulated over 180 years. At all times, there have been many talented photo artists in the ranks of the RGS who helped create a chronicle of their homeland. Continuing this tradition, the contestants annually create a unique image of modern Russia, captured by thousands of lenses in various places. It reflects all aspects of life: natural resources, national traditions, exciting events, and the faces of our compatriots. People in different Russian regions and countries around the world will see the best photos of the contest.
Dawn over the domes, meeting of the sun and the moonPhoto: Nadezhda Zakharova, participant of the RGS’s contest "The Most Beautiful Country"
«Although AI can show off software creations, it is not able to know the emotional depth of the human soul, which an artist can capture through the camera lens,» actor and director Vladimir Mashkov, a permanent member of the jury of «The Most Beautiful Country» photo contest, said about the importance of photography.
There are no restrictions on the age and place of residence of the participants in the rules of the photo contest. The main condition is that the photos must be taken only on the territory of Russia. Anyone can send their picture, and you don’t need to be a professional photographer or have expensive equipment to do this. There is a separate category for pictures taken on mobile phones. All participants of «The Most Beautiful Country» will be united by their love for their homeland, passion for photography, and the desire to share the most successful shots.
In honor of the 180th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society, the «180 Wonders of Russia» category was established in the photo contest for the first time. The project participants will have to share photos of the most beautiful natural and man-made sights of our country: those places that, according to the authors of the photos, everyone should visit at least once in their life.
You can submit a vivid and emotional photograph in the already beloved and popular categories: «Landscape», «Wild Animals», «Birds», «Elemental Magic», «Faces of Russia», «Live Archive», «Art of Wildlife (fine-art photography)», «Macroworld», «Taken on a Smartphone.»
The success of «The Most Beautiful Desktop Wallpaper» category in the tenth anniversary photo contest inspired «Astra Group» to continue their cooperation. As last year, the works of the 10 finalists will be pre-installed in the Astra Linux operating system. Participants should send a photo corresponding to the theme of any of the available contest categories. The best of them will become wallpaper in the Russian operating system.
The RGS holds a separate contest «The Most Beautiful Country through the Eyes of Children» for young photographers under the age of 16. Participating in it is a great opportunity to show your creativity and gain valuable experience. The pictures can be presented in four categories: «Landscape», «Animal World», «Natural Phenomena», «Macroworld». The photos can be taken both on a camera and on a mobile phone (smartphone). The victory in each category is a cash prize of 100,000 rubles.
Fire-breathing guardian. Photo: Oksana Mylnikova, participant of the RGS’s contest "The Most Beautiful Country"
The partners of the XI Photo Contest «The Most Beautiful Country» will make their own choice and support the participants with special prizes in separate categories. In the new «Unique Places» category, VK will award a special prize for real photo discoveries: pictures taken in unusual, little-known corners of Russia that are hidden from the eyes of most people. VTB Bank will celebrate the most impressive shot taken in a specially protected natural area by awarding a special prize «Reserved Russia». ANO «Amur Tiger» and «PhosAgro» will choose the most unexpected picture of animals in their natural habitat, awarding a special prize «Captured on a Camera Trap». The most beautiful and emotional natural art object will receive a special prize from the Art, Science and Sport Charity Foundation.
Internet users will also be able to determine their favorite. An open vote for the best photo, which has already become a tradition, will be held on the website of the photo contest. Following its results, the winner will receive the People’s Choice Award. The winner will be determined from among the finalists in all the categories of the contest.
In the harbor. Photo: Vitaly Novikov, participant of the RGS’s contest "The Most Beautiful Country"
The authors can submit photos to the contest until March 31, 2025. Then they will be reviewed and evaluated. The winners and runners-up will be selected in several stages. All photos submitted to the contest are first evaluated by members of an independent expert group, then a jury consisting of professional photographers from different countries, film directors, actors, and art historians joins the work.
The jury of the XI Photo Contest of the RGS «The Most Beautiful Country» includes: wildlife photographers Sergei Gorshkov; Marco Urso; Andrew Parkinson; and Igor Metelsky, who won the People’s Choice Award in the tenth contest; photographer, author of documentary and scientific educational projects Olga Michi; actor and director Sergei Garmash; actor and director Vladimir Mashkov; Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner; TASS Visual Content Director Ilya Lazarev; President of the Russian Geographical Society Sergei Shoigu.
«There always comes a moment when a photo makes you stop, gives you pause, I’m looking only at it. The first impression plays an important role. Of course, a place where you have never been, but would like to visit is added to the emotion,» Sergei Garmash, an actor of theater and cinema, a member of the jury of the photo contest, told about how the jury selects the winners.
The Emerald Chirkey. Photo: Konstantin Malanin, participant of the RGS’s contest "The Most Beautiful Country"
Entries for the photo contests of the RGS «The Most Beautiful Country» and «The Most Beautiful Country through the Eyes of Children» are accepted from January 20 to March 31, 2025, on the website photo.rgo.ru and photo-children.rgo.ru.