The concept of the award of the Russian Geographical Society 2025 – the RGS

1.1. The Award of the Russian Geographical Society (hereinafter referred to as the Award) is an award of the All-Russian public organization «The Russian Geographical Society» (hereinafter referred to as the Society) in the field of national geography, ecology, maintaining and popularization of natural, historical and cultural heritage of Russia.

1.2. The Award was established to promote the activities of the Society, to increase interest in projects related to national geography, ecology, and the preservation of Russia's natural, historical, and cultural heritage, as well as to support geographical education and its popularizers.

1.3. Submission of applications is possible in areas that align with the goals, objectives, and subject of the Society's activities, as outlined in the Society's Charter.

1.4. The Award is granted on a competitive basis by the Award Jury.

1.5. Members of the Award Jury are approved by the President of the Society.

1.6. The call for applications for the Award is announced on the Society's website, www.rgo.ru (hereinafter referred to as the Society's website).

1.7. The competition is open to adult individuals, and minors aged 8 to 16 legally represented by their guardians, individual entrepreneurs, legal entities, as well as teams of authors whose works (projects) meet the requirements of this Concept (hereinafter referred to as the applicant/applicants).

1.8. The Award follows this timeline:

1.8.1. March 24 – May 14, 2025 – submission of applications (hereinafter referred to as the applications).

1.8.2. May 21 – June 20, 2025 – evaluation of applications by the Award's Expert Group.

1.8.3. July 4 – August 4, 2025 – evaluation of applications by the Award Jury.

1.8.4. Late October – early November 2025 – the Award Ceremony for the winners.

2.1. The Award is granted in the following categories:

2.1.1. «Best Scientific Project» (results of research projects in the field of geography and related sciences). This category aims to recognize outstanding research, scientific inquiries, and expeditions that provide answers to pressing questions in geography and related fields. Authors of projects that expand our understanding of the world and propose new approaches to understanding natural processes and phenomena are invited to participate.

2.1.2. «Best Historical and Cultural Project» (results of projects in archaeology, ethnography, and related sciences, as well as museum activities and collections). This category encourages achievements in the study, restoration, and popularization of Russia's historical and cultural monuments. Results of archaeological and ethnographic research and expeditions, as well as initiatives in museum and exhibition activities, are eligible for the Award. Projects such as excavations of ancient settlements, reconstruction of lifestyles and material culture, study of artifacts, traditions, languages, rituals, and the organization of exhibitions may compete for the Award in this category.

2.1.3. «Best Educational Project in Geography» (results of educational and outreach projects in geography and related sciences). This category is designed to identify successfully implemented initiatives that promote the study of geography and related fields in modern society. These projects reflect innovative approaches to studying natural and environmental issues, foster interest in gaining new knowledge in these areas, and help shape a new generation of researchers.

2.1.4. «Best Environmental Protection Project» (results of projects focused on the study, restoration, and preservation of the environment and biodiversity, as well as the promotion of sustainable use of natural resources). This category is for authors of successfully implemented projects in the field of ecological, active, and cultural-educational tourism within the country. Development of modern tourist infrastructure (routes, tourist-recreational complexes, excursion sites), organization of event programs, tours, and activities, and creation of guidebooks are examples of achievements that may be awarded in this category.

2.1.5. «Best Documentary Film» (results of documentary projects dedicated to travels across Russia). This category is intended for films dedicated to the preservation and popularization of the country's heritage. These documentary works foster a respectful attitude toward nature, historical memory, and culture, promote the development of small settlements, support indigenous peoples of Russia, and contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge in geography. The minimum duration of the submitted film is 26 minutes.

2.1.6. «Best Travel Film» (results of projects aimed at developing domestic and inbound tourism in Russia). This category includes television-format works and media projects for social networks that promote domestic tourism. Chronicles of travels across Russia, visits to the most interesting and scenic places and routes, adventures, and sharing travel experiences may serve as themes for these films. Both single-episode (minimum duration of 25 minutes) and multi-episode projects (minimum duration of one episode: 13 minutes) are accepted.

2.1.7. «Best Tourism Project» (results of documentary projects about the history, nature, ethnography, and geography of Russia, as well as outstanding scientists and explorers). This nomination recognizes the creators of successful projects in the field of eco-friendly, active, and cultural-educational recreation within the country. The Award recognizes achievements in the development of modern tourism infrastructure, including routes, tourist-recreational complexes, and excursion sites, as well as the organization of event programs, tours, and activities, and the creation of guidebooks.

2.1.8. «Best Children's Project» (results of projects carried out by authors aged 8 to 16 years old, who are engaged in research and popularization of knowledge in geography and related disciplines). This category aims to recognize the contribution of the younger generation to the development and popularization of geographical knowledge. Young popularizers and authors of research on the study of the environment, historical-cultural, and natural heritage may become winners.

2.1.9. «Best Foreign Project About Russia» (esults of projects carried out by foreign citizens or organizations). This category evaluates and encourages the achievements of foreign authors in socially significant initiatives that promote the popularization of Russia's heritage and the dissemination of accurate information about it on the international stage. Projects in the field of studying Russia's natural and historical-cultural heritage, tourism development, environmental conservation and biodiversity, popularization of ecological values, and sustainable use of natural resources are eligible for the Award.

3.1. Submission of applications is carried out through the Society's website by filling out the corresponding registration form.

3.2. Applications are submitted by the applicant by clicking the "Submit" button on the website.

3.3. Projects submitted for the Award must have been implemented by individuals, individual entrepreneurs, legal entities, or teams of authors within the preceding five years.

3.4. The application must include a description of the project submitted for the Award, including the following information:

3.4.1. Award category.

3.4.2. Project name.

3.4.3. Full name of the applicant – the individual submitting the application.

3.4.4. Contact information (address, email, phone number).

3.4.5. Full name of the author, name of the individual entrepreneur, name of the organization (legal entity), and/or the project's team of authors (indicating the project/team leader).

3.4.6. Project goals and objectives.

3.4.7. Project implementation timeline.

3.4.8. Project’s geographical scope.

3.4.9. Project partners.

3.4.10. Project description.

3.4.11. Outcomes and results of the project.

3.4.12. Certificates, diplomas, awards, and other recognitions previously received by the project (if applicable).

3.4.13. Project presentation in ppt or pdf format.

3.4.14. Additional materials (photos, videos, and audio materials).

3.4.15. Comments on additional materials.

3.5. Projects that have previously been awarded by the Society, as listed in the Regulations on the Awards of the Russian Geographical Society, are not eligible for submission.

3.6. Projects implemented in violation of the legislation of the Russian Federation, containing offensive information, or information contrary to moral principles and universally recognized values, will not be considered.

4.1. By submitting an application, the applicant on behalf of the project author, legal representative of a minor project author, authorized representative of an individual entrepreneur, authorized representative of a legal entity, or authorized head of team of authors) guarantees the following:

4.1.1. The applicant/nominee for the Award is the rights holder of the materials attached to the application (project presentation, photo, audio, and video materials) (hereinafter referred to as Materials).

4.1.2. Materials do not violate the legislation of the Russian Federation, do not contain offensive information, or information contrary to moral principles and universally recognized values.

4.1.3. The content of Materials does not infringe on the rights of third parties.

4.1.4. If third parties challenge the Society’s rights to use Materials in court or otherwise, the applicant is obliged to participate in the proceedings on the side of the Society and prove the legality of the Society’s use of Materials.

4.1.5. If the applicant cannot prove the legality of the use and disposal of Materials and the Society is held liable, the applicant is obliged to reimburse the Society within 10 (ten) calendar days from the date of entry into force of the court decision and/or decision of another body resolving the dispute for court costs, the amount to be recovered from the Society in favor of a third party, and other expenses related to the legal proceedings.

4.1.6. In the case of people appearing in Materials uploaded by the applicant, the applicant has obtained a model release/consent (consent for publication and further use of Materials) for the images of the people.

4.1.7. In the case of claims against the Society by holders of copyright and/or related rights, their authorized representatives, or third parties regarding the Society’s use of Materials, the applicant undertakes to resolve all disputes with the third parties who made such claims at their own expense and to compensate the Society for any damages incurred as a result.

4.2. Legal representatives of minor authors, authorized representatives of individual entrepreneurs, legal entities, and authorized heads of teams of authors are indeed such representatives.

4.3. Copyright to Materials submitted for the competition remains with the authors of the respective Materials.

4.4. By participating in the competition, the applicant, as a voluntary donation to the statutory activities of the Society, grants the Society the right (a non-exclusive license) to use the photos/videos (hereinafter referred to as Works/Materials), as well as their fragments, in ways provided for by the civil legislation of the Russian Federation, including:

• reproduction of Work, i.e., the creation of one or more copies of Work or its part in any material form, including in the form of sound or video recordings, the creation in three dimensions of one or more copies of a two-dimensional Work, and in two dimensions of one or more copies of a three-dimensional Work. Recording Work on an electronic medium, including recording in computer memory, is also considered reproduction;
• distribution of Work by sale or other alienation of its original or copies;
• public display of Work, i.e., any demonstration of the original or copy of Work directly or on a screen using film, slides, television frames, or other technical means, as well as the demonstration of individual frames of an audiovisual Work without observing their sequence, directly or with the help of technical means in a place open to free access or in a place where a significant number of persons not belonging to the usual family circle are present, regardless of whether Work is perceived at the place of its demonstration or in another place simultaneously with the demonstration of Work.;
• import of the original or copies of Work for distribution purposes;
• rental of the original or a copy of Work;
• public performance of Work, i.e., the presentation of Work in live performance or with the help of technical means (radio, television, and other technical means), as well as the display of an audiovisual work (with or without sound accompaniment) in a place open to free access or in a place where a significant number of persons not belonging to the usual family circle are present, regardless of whether Work is perceived at the place of its presentation or display or in another place simultaneously with the presentation or display of Work.;
• broadcasting, i.e., the distribution of Work to the public by radio or television. Broadcasting includes any action by which Work becomes accessible for auditory and/or visual perception, regardless of its actual perception by the public. When broadcasting works via satellite, broadcasting includes the reception of signals from a ground station to a satellite and the transmission of signals from the satellite, by which Work can be communicated to the public, regardless of its actual reception by the public. Transmission of encoded signals is considered broadcasting if decoding means are provided to an unlimited number of persons by the broadcasting organization or with its consent;
• cablecasting, i.e., the distribution of Work to the public by radio or television using cable, wire, optical fiber, or similar means. Transmission of encoded signals is considered cablecasting if decoding means are provided to an unlimited number of persons by the cable broadcasting organization or with its consent;
• retransmission, i.e., the reception and simultaneous unaltered transmission by broadcasting (including via satellite) or cable of an unbridged radio or television broadcast or its substantial part by a broadcasting or cablecasting organization;
• translation or other adaptation of Work. Adaptation includes the creation of derivative works (arrangements, screen adaptations, dramatizations, etc.). Adaptation (modification) of a computer program or database includes any changes, including translation of such a program or database from one language to another, except for adaptation, i.e., changes made solely for the purpose of enabling the program or database to function on specific technical means of the user or under the control of specific user programs;
• practical implementation of an architectural, design, urban planning, or landscape project;
• making Work available to the public in such a way that any person may access Work from any place and at any time of their choice (making available to the public).

4.5. The applicant grants the Society the right to publish Materials and to use Materials in the ways provided for in the "License Agreement" section of this Concept, worldwide.

4.6. The applicant grants the Society the right to include Materials or their fragments in any complex objects (films, other audiovisual works, theatrical performances, multimedia products, databases, etc.), as well as the right to include Materials or their fragments in any composite works. The applicant understands, accepts, and agrees that the exclusive rights to the complex and composite objects of intellectual activity specified in this clause, which may include Materials, will belong to the Society, which, in turn, has the right to transfer such rights to third parties.

4.7. The applicant agrees that the Society may create any other independent works as a result of adapting Materials of the competition, including, but not limited to, any audiovisual works, animated, advertising, promotional, image, informational, and announcement videos and clips, as well as other results of intellectual activity and means of individualization.
The Society will have the exclusive right in full to the new results of intellectual activity and means of individualization, including the right to multiple (unlimited) use, in whole and/or in part (fragmentarily), and multiple (unlimited) disposal on a paid and/or free basis of the new results of intellectual activity and means of individualization, without territorial or time limitations, at its discretion, by any existing or future methods not contrary to the legislation of the Russian Federation.

4.8. The applicant grants the Society the right to enter into sublicense agreements/contracts with third parties on paid or free terms within the scope of the rights granted to the Society under the "License Agreement" section of this Concept. The Society may independently determine the cost of sublicenses and is not required to provide the applicant with reports on the use of Materials or on the sublicense agreements/contracts concluded.
The applicant understands, accepts, and agrees that the Society is not liable to the applicant for the use of Materials by third parties who have obtained the rights to use Materials under a sublicense.

4.9. The applicant agrees that the Society may place Materials uploaded by the applicant on souvenir, printed, and other products sold by the Society.

4.10. The term of the non-exclusive license granting the Society the right to use uploaded Materials is the term of the exclusive rights to Materials from the moment they are uploaded to the Society’s website.

4.11. By uploading Materials to the Society’s website, the applicant/nominee for the Award automatically gives their consent to the use of their name and Materials submitted for the competition for the statutory purposes of the Society, as well as consent to the use of Materials in the ways provided for in the "License Agreement" section of this Concept.

4.12. Uploading Materials to the Society’s website confirms that the applicant understands all the terms of this Concept, is aware of the legal consequences of non-compliance with the terms of this Concept, agrees to the terms of this Concept, and understands and agrees to the scope of non-exclusive rights transferred to the Society under the "License Agreement" section of this Concept.

5.1. The procedure for evaluating applications consists of the following steps:

5.1.1. Technical selection of applications by the moderator of the Society’s website (checking the application form for correct completion).

5.1.2. Evaluation of applications by the Award’s Expert Group.

5.1.3. Evaluation of applications by the Award Jury.

5.2. For the preliminary evaluation of applications, the Award’s Expert Group is formed. Its members are approved by the co-chairs of the Award’s Expert Group, who are appointed by the President of the Society.

5.3. Based on the evaluation conducted by the Award’s Expert Group, selected applications are submitted for consideration by the Award Jury.

5.4. The Award Jury, evaluating the applications presented by the Award’s Expert Group, determines the Award finalists (up to 3 projects in each category) and the Award winners from among the finalists in each category.

5.5. The decision to give the Award is made by secret ballot of the Award Jury members.

5.6. The names of the winners and finalists of the Award are not announced until the Award Ceremony.

5.7. All finalists of the Award (up to 3 projects in each category) are invited to the Award Ceremony.

5.8. The Award may be presented in each category to one nominee—an individual, individual entrepreneur, or legal entity—or to a team of authors.

5.9. Winners of the Award in the categories specified in clauses 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, and 2.1.7 receive a personalized diploma indicating the category, a desktop composition, and a monetary prize of 1,000,000 rubles.

5.10. If the Award is granted to a team of authors, the monetary prize is divided equally among all team members listed in the application. Each team member receives their share of the monetary prize separately.

5.11. The winner of the Award in the category specified in clause 2.1.8 receives a personalized diploma indicating the category, a desktop composition, and a certificate for participation in the RGS tour along with two accompanying persons.

5.12. The winner of the Award in the category specified in clause 2.1.9 receives a personalized diploma indicating the category, a desktop composition, and a certificate for participation in the RGS tour.

5.13. Finalists of the Award receive an honorary diploma.

5.14. The Award may not be granted if no applications pass the competitive selection based on the evaluations by the Expert Group and the Award Jury.

5.15. The decisions of the Award Jury and Expert Group members are final and not subject to review.

5.16. The Society does not provide written or oral explanations regarding the reasons for decisions made during the evaluation.

6.1. The Society, when paying rewards to the Award winners, acts as a tax agent and withholds personal income tax from the amount of the payment made.

6.2. Participation in the competition for the Award (the act of filling out the corresponding application on the official RGS website) means:

6.2.1. Full and unconditional acceptance by the participant of the conditions and rules established by the Society for conducting the competition for the Award, and agreement with the requirements set by the Society for participation in the competition for the Award.

6.2.2. The Award nominee’s commitment to comply with the conditions and rules established by the Society for conducting the competition for the Award.

6.2.3. Consent to the storage and processing of participants’ personal data in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on personal data.

6.3. The Society is not responsible for non-performance or inappropriate performance of its obligations resulting from failures in telecommunication and power networks, actions of malicious programs, as well as unfair actions of third parties aimed at unauthorized access and/or disabling the Society’s software and/or hardware systems.

6.4. The Society reserves the right to make changes to the rules for conducting the competition for the Award.

6.5. This Concept constitutes an offer, which is accepted by the applicant at the moment of uploading Materials to the Society’s website.

6.6. In accordance with Article 434 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the applicant acknowledges and agrees that the written form of the transaction (the Society’s posting of this offer on the website, which includes the license agreement, and the applicant’s acceptance of this offer by uploading Materials to the Society’s website) is considered fulfilled.