Submissions for the XI Photo Contest "The Most Beautiful Country" are closed

The submissions for the XI Photo Contest «The Most Beautiful Country», which is taking place in the year of the 180th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society, were closed on March 31. More than 8,000 participants, adults and children, took part in the large-scale media project of the RGS. They presented more than 50,000 images, from which the best shots will be selected, demonstrating the unique heritage of Russia in all its diversity.

The idea of «The Most Beautiful Country» photo contest is based on the long-term experience of the Russian Geographical Society, which throughout its history has attracted talented photo artists in their quest to capture the natural, cultural, and historical sights of Russia. And today this tradition continues thanks to the project and its photo-inspired participants.

In 11 years, the contest has become one of the largest events in the world of natural photography. Participants from foreign countries are actively joining the project. For example, this time the entries for the competition came from Belarus, China, and even the Cook Islands — the geography covered about 10 countries from different regions of the world.

In Russia, the project’s popularity was boosted by a free educational program, which the RGS team, together with experts in the field of photography, members of the jury and the expert commission of the contest, conducted in Russia: in Ufa, Kaliningrad and Perm.

«I encourage everyone to take part in photo contests whenever possible, this allows you to assess your potential, increases your competitive level, and thus allows you to increase your photography level. Photography is a photographer’s visual statement addressed to the world,» said Yuri Trubnikov, a photographer and lecturer at MSU’s Department of Photojournalism, who acted as one of the experts in the events of the educational program.

The master classes helped the participants gain new knowledge in the field of photography, to hear useful tips on working with photographs, choosing equipment; and portfolio reviews, to receive feedback on their work.

«I really enjoyed the event because it’s face-to-face communication, I came here for the sake of communication, not just to show photos. It was important for me to get the experts' opinion on whether I was moving in the right direction,» Dmitry Aichuvakov, one of the participants in the educational program events from Ufa, shared his impressions.

For those who could not attend the meetings with experts in person, the RGS organized broadcasts on social networks, which were joined by a total of almost 220,000 viewers. The educational program gave a new impetus to the contest: compared to last year, the number of participants from Bashkiria and the Perm Region increased by almost a third.

«What is the most important thing I heard from the experts? How best to photograph: observe the horizon line, the grid, and look at things from other angles. I liked a photographer’s expression: 'As in dancing, from all directions — from below, from above, and from the side — to find a beautiful angle from all sides’,» said Elena Yemeleva, a participant in the program, a teacher who teaches photography to the younger generation. By the way, this year’s children’s competition — «The Most Beautiful Country through the Eyes of Children» — brought together more than a thousand young authors who submitted about 4,500 works.

In the year of its 180th anniversary, the RGS offered participants a new category: «180 Wonders of Russia». Its idea is to collect photographs of natural and man-made objects that are the treasure of Russia and, from the point of view of the authors of the photographs, a must-visit. The debut turned out to be a success: more than 2,500 works were submitted for the category. It became the fourth most popular this year after the categories «Taken on a Smartphone», «Landscape», and «Birds».

The award ceremony will take place in August. The winners in the categories of the contest «The Most Beautiful Country» will receive an award in the amount of 250,000 rubles; «The Most Beautiful Country through the Eyes of Children», 100,000 rubles. The best works in the category «The Most Beautiful Desktop Wallpaper», the partner of which is «Astra Group», will become desktop backgrounds in the Astra Linux operating system.

The participants in individual categories will be supported by special prizes from the partners of the XI Photo Contest «The Most Beautiful Country». In the new «Unique Places» category, VK will select the winner of a special prize for photo discoveries: shots taken in unusual, little-known corners of Russia. VTB Bank will award the special prize «Reserved Russia» to the most impressive photo taken in a specially protected area. The best picture of animals in their natural habitat will be chosen by the ANO «Amur Tiger» and «PhosAgro» company. The author will receive a special prize «Captured on a Camera Trap». Finally, the most impressive and emotional shot of a natural art object will be awarded a special prize from the Art, Science and Sport Charity Foundation.