Categories and prizes

Pictures showing the greatness, diversity and beauty of the pristine nature of the country. Forests and fields, mountains and waterfalls, rivers and lakes, seas and oceans. Pictures full of grandeur and space, or small-scale ones, idyllic and pastoral, full of colors and emotions, or melancholy. The presence of urban elements in the shot is allowed only as an exception, as compositionally justified details, but not as the main subject of the picture.

Vivid moments from the life of wild animals in their natural habitat. The category accepts pictures of all animals without exception, excluding birds.

Ethnographic portraiture of the peoples of Russia. First of all, close-up portraits of people are accepted for the category. The category demonstrates the diversity of peoples living in our country, their characters, images.

Natural phenomena in all their diversity and beauty. Pictures of storms and thunderstorms, blizzards and snowfalls, ice drifts and floods. Shots filled with movement and emotions, the powerful energy of our planet, forcing you to bow before the greatness of nature and the power of the elements. Photos, in which it is not a person or animals, but the elements that became a source of inspiration for the photographer. Compositionally, situationally justified presence of people or animals in the shot is allowed, but not as the main subject of shooting.

An image that will be installed as a photo wallpaper on a computer desktop. It can be used as a background image on the Astra Linux operating system. The photos should reflect one of the main categories of the adult contest. The partner of the category is the Astra Linux OS.

Scenes from the life of wild birds, their beauty, interaction with each other and the environment.

Contemporary photos, recreating archival ones. On the special page of this category, the Participants of the Photo Contest are provided with a set of photographs of Russia of the late 19th - first half of the 20th century from the archives of the Society and the archives of the partners of the category. Contemporary shots taken in the same place, if possible from the same angle as the corresponding archival photographs, are accepted for the Photo Contest. In addition, the Participants of the Contest can independently upload archival photographs and modern photographs created based on them. However, in this case, the Participant of the Photo Contest must simultaneously comply with two conditions: to be the author of the modern photograph, as well as to have the rights to the archival photograph to be able to transfer the rights to these archival photographs to the Society in amount equal to the amount of rights stipulated in section 10 of this Regulation "License Agreement".
Contest Regulations
Learn more about the "Live Archive"category

Photos that create emotional and associative images (art objects) – from the macrocosm to filming from the Earth's orbit.

Shots that convey the grace and complex organization of a world that is difficult to see with the naked eye.

Photos taken on a smartphone, that correspond to one of the main categories of the adult Photo Contest.

A series of photographs (from 4 to 10 works) united by a common theme or visual design. It can be pictures from the life of a wild animal, a visual study of a natural phenomenon, etc. The presence of a person in the shot is allowed only in exceptional cases, as compositionally justified details, but not as the main subject of the picture.

The winner of the prize is chosen from among the finalists of the contest in all categories via open voting on the website of the photo contest. The results of the vote are approved by the Jury.

Awarded for the best shot taken in specially protected natural areas (SPNA). The winner of the prize is determined by the partner of the Photo Contest: “VTB Bank” PJSC.

Awarded for the best shot of animals in their natural habitat obtained using a camera trap or an automatic photography system. The winner of the prize is determined by the partners of the contest: the center “Amur Tiger” ANO and “PhosAgro” PJSC.

The Executive Directorate of the Russian Geographical Society will select three photographers among the winners of the Photo Contest "The Most Beautiful Country" over the last ten years, who will take part in one of the expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society in 2025.

Photographs of a non-man-made object are accepted, demonstrating the beauty of nature in unusual color and compositional solutions, as well as evoking an emotional response from the viewer. The partner is the Art, Science and Sport Foundation.