The most beautiful country gallery New Moon among skyscrapers © Igor Gorshkov Winner of the “Architecture” nomination
Opening: October 14, 2019
Application date: until February 16, 2020
Contribution: for free
Awards: 250,000 ₽ in each category, valuable prizes
Photo competition "The Most beautiful country"is a large-scale event of the Russian Geographical Society, uniting the best photographers of Russia.
The Russian Geographical Society has always strived to tell about the nature, history and culture of our country. For this purpose they involved best writers, artists, journalists and, of course, photographers.
The first Photo Contest was held in 2015. 25 thousand photographers from all over the world took part in it, uploading about 200 thousand photographs to the project website. The oldest participant in the first Photo Contest was 98 years old, and the youngest was only 4 years old.
In just five years of the competition’s existence, participants sent more than 440 thousand photographs to it.
The project caused a great public outcry and became an annual project, and exhibitions of the works of its finalists and winners are successfully exhibited all over the world.
Works submitted to the Photo Competition are evaluated by a Jury, which includes famous public figures, famous photographers and representatives of the art world. The initial selection of photographs is carried out by an Expert Commission, whose work involves reputable photographers and heads of the largest photographic services in the country.
Discover Russia again with the Russian Geographical Society!
Nominations
- Scenery
Footage demonstrating the grandeur, diversity and beauty of our country’s landscapes and its nature. - Wild animals
The photographs presented in this section reflect unique moments from the life of wild animals in natural environment a habitat. - Macroworld
Shots that convey in detail the grace and complex organization of a world that is difficult to see with the naked eye, but can be “caught” with professional macro equipment. - Undersea world
The life of underwater inhabitants, dangerous predators and harmless mollusks, a fascinating presentation of unusual angles and underwater landscapes. - These funny animals
Footage that captures funny and unusual moments from the life of wild animals. - Photo project
A series of photographs (from 4 to 10 works), united by a common theme or visual design. This can be a photo essay on the topic of any of the competition nominations: footage from the life of a wild animal, visual research natural phenomenon etc. - Russia from a bird's eye view
Panoramic views taken in flight over the vast Russian expanses. The subject of photography can be landscapes, settlements, animals, etc. - Many faces of Russia
The diversity of peoples inhabiting Russia and their cultures. Faces, characters, national color, expressed through rituals, life, clothing. - Living Archive
Modern photographic compositions that replicate archival photographs. On a special page for this nomination, participants in the Photo Contest are provided with a set of photographs of Russia late XIX- the first half of the 20th century from the archives of the Russian Geographical Society and the archives of the nomination partners. Contemporary photographs taken in the same place, if possible from the same angle, as the corresponding archival photographs are accepted for the Photo Competition. Photo compositions based on archival photographs that are not presented on the nomination page are not accepted for participation in the Photo Contest. - Filmed on a smartphone
Photos taken with a smartphone and reflecting any of the competition nominations. - Russian water energy
A special nomination dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the official partner of the competition, PJSC RusHydro. The works presented in the nomination must reflect the work of a hydroelectric power station (hereinafter referred to as HPP) and may contain: an image appearance HPP "RusHydro"; landscape shots with the presence of the RusHydro hydroelectric power station; image of a unique technical equipment HPP "RusHydro" (units, control panels, machine rooms, etc.), images of power engineers during work (portrait and reportage photographs) at the HPP "RusHydro". - People's Choice Award
The winner of the prize is determined by open voting on the Photo Contest website from among the finalists in all categories.
Winners of the photo competition “The Most Beautiful Country – 2019”
Meeting autumn and winter
© Elena Pakhalyuk
Winner of the Landscape category
Peak Cosmos
© Trashin Alexander
Winner of the “From Dusk Till Dawn” nomination
At dusk
© Yuri Sorokin
Winner of the "Birds" category
In the fog
© Andrey Kuznetsov
Winner of the “Macroworld” nomination
Spawning
© Mikhail Korostelev
Winner of the “Underwater World” nomination
When your favorite track is on your headphones
© Pavel Vanifatov
Winner of the category “These Funny Animals”
On the border of two habitats
© Andrey Maksimov
Winner of the nomination “Bird's Eye View of Russia”
Joy
© Pavel Smertin
Winner of the “Many Faces of Russia” nomination
Spring
© Sergey Zelenin
Winner of the category “Shot on a Smartphone”
New moon among skyscrapers
© Igor Gorshkov
Winner of the category "Architecture"
Don't touch my child!
© Vladimir Omelin
Winner of the “Wild Animals” nomination
Roerich's trends
© Vitaly Berkov
Winner of the nomination “Wildlife Art (art photo)”
The III Photo Contest of the Russian Geographical Society “The Most Beautiful Country” is held in order to attract attention to the issues of preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Russia, as well as fostering a caring attitude towards environment through the art of photography.
The organizer and copyright holder of the Photo Competition, as well as any events related to the use of the name “The Most Beautiful Country”, is the All-Russian public organization"Russian Geographical Society".
The photo competition is held in three stages:
- Stage 1 “Acceptance of works” - from February 8, 2017 until July 31, 2017;
- 2nd stage “Qualifying” - work of the Expert Commission - from August 1, 2017 to August 25, 2017;
- Stage 3 “Final” – meeting of the Jury members – September (date to be confirmed).
The winners in each category of the Photo Contest receive money prize in the amount of 250,000 rubles taking into account personal income tax.
Any author (copyright holder) of photographs submitted to the Photo Competition can become a participant in the Photo Competition. Photographers from any country are allowed to participate in the Photo Contest, without age restrictions.
The Photo Contest accepts photographs that correspond to the topics of the Photo Contest nominations, taken exclusively on the territory of Russian Federation.
Photographs submitted to the Photo Contest must be accompanied by information about the shooting (author's title, description of the object depicted in the photograph, type of animal, bird or plant, observation of behavior, history of the photograph, location, whether the species is listed in the Red Book, whether bait was used (if so, then which one) etc., as well as technical information (camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, special equipment used).
The total number of photographs sent to the Photo Contest cannot be more than 25.
One photograph cannot be presented in more than one category.
Photos with images of domestic animals (cats, dogs, horses, etc.) and domestic plants are not accepted for participation in the Photo Contest.
Photographs of animals taken using live bait or in captivity are not accepted for participation in the Photo Contest.
A prerequisite for participation in the Photo Contest is compliance with environmental legislation of the Russian Federation, ethical attitude towards animals and their habitat
In order to obtain the required frame, photographers should not disturb the natural lifestyle of their subjects.
Digital influence on a photograph (processing) should not distort the content of the photograph.
The photo competition includes the following nominations:
- PEOPLES OF RUSSIA (photos revealing the identity of the peoples of Russia, who have not lost in the age of information and modern technologies its culture, traditions of farming and crafts, unique languages and centuries-old connection of generations with wild nature);
- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. LANDSCAPE (landscapes of Russia showing the beauty wildlife our Motherland);
- WILD ANIMALS (photos submitted in the nomination must capture unique moments from the life of wild animals);
- BIRDS (stories from life wild birds, their interaction with each other and the environment);
- CAVES OF RUSSIA (photos that capture the beauty of the mysterious and unique world of caves in Russia. Photos of mines, tunnels and other artificial underground structures are not accepted);
- MACROWORLD (photos in this nomination show the invisible beauty and complex organization of the macroworld);
- FROM SUNSET TO DAWN (photographs that reveal the life of wildlife at night. Regardless of the subject, the work must reflect the character, convey the drama and emotional mood of wildlife at night);
- UNDERWATER WORLD (photos capturing moments from the life of marine and freshwater flora and fauna of Russia);
- RUSSIA FROM A BIRD'S EYE (reflection of the beauty of wild nature seen from the air. The subject of photography can be a landscape, animal, plant or other living organism. Photographs collected from several images are not accepted for the nomination);
- THE WORLD IN OUR HANDS (provocative photographs demonstrating how humanity is affecting the natural world of Russian wildlife);
- CULTURAL HERITAGE OF RUSSIA (the nomination is intended to draw attention to monuments of the material culture of our country that are on the verge of extinction);
- YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER (nomination for beginning photographers under the age of 13 inclusive);
- AUDIENCE CHOICE PRIZE (nomination, the winner of which is determined by open voting on the Photo Competition website).
Full information is presented on the competition website.
"The most beautiful country" 2017. For six months, Russian photographers, as well as amateur photographers from other countries, sent their works to participate in this competition. In total, about 50 thousand images were uploaded to the project website.
My heartbreaking portrait of a bear, which I called “No Hope,” won in the sad category “The world is in our hands.” I entered two photographs in this nomination and twenty more in others. There were beautiful birds, huge whales and killer whales, bright landscapes of Kamchatka. I'll show you everything under the cut.
The Russian Geographical Society's photo competition "The Most Beautiful Country" is dedicated to preserving Russia's wildlife and fostering respect for the environment through the art of photography.
The rules of the creative competition have no restrictions on the age or place of residence of participants. The works were evaluated by a professional jury, which included famous Russian photographers. The judges determined best works in 12 categories, in another one the winner was chosen by Internet users by voting on the website.
This year, four new nominations appeared at the competition: “Bird's Eye View of Russia”, “From Dusk to Dawn”, “Caves of Russia”, “Cultural Heritage of Russia”. Among the nominations there are also well-known ones: “Peoples of Russia”, “The most beautiful country. Landscape”, “The world is in our hands”, “Wild animals”, “Underwater world”, “Birds”, “Macroworld”, “Young photographer” and "People's Choice Award".
I'm showing you what I sent.
Wild animals
It so happened that all my photographs submitted for this nomination were taken in Kamchatka. I haven't gotten around to these posts yet. The first two show brown bears on Kuril Lake in the Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve.
This one is my favorite :)) This is exactly what an animal should look like in its habitat!
And here the mother teaches the little one to fish
This photo shows a whole family of killer whales from a July trip with Misha korostelev
..and here’s another gorgeous humpback whale tail. ⠀
The world is in our hands
Yes, yes, this is the most banal thing that can be sent from our region. But it’s symbolic and fits the nomination perfectly. On the picture
The photo is the winner in the “The World is in Our Hands” category. I was very worried about the photo with the bear - it was painfully provocative and flashy. It seemed that there was no place for such stories in this competition.
⠀
On August 26, 2015, the powerful typhoon Goni hit the Primorsky Territory. In the city of Ussuriysk, a mini-zoo with brown bears was flooded, which had the fate of facing the blow of the elements face to face. Food was sent to the animals by motorboat. A few days later, thanks to activists, 18 small animals were removed from the zoo; 14 bears remained in the flooded area. At noon on September 2, the evacuation began. The bears, who had drunk on the ridge water, were taken out by boats and helicopters. I will remember this look all my life.
Birds
I sent eight photos here. I really hoped for the birds. Of course, six of them are from Vladivostok, one photo is about the Kamchatka hatchet.
By the way, this photo not long ago brought me first place in a photo competition nikonofficial
I l in the heart of the image. This is how I got my first macro lens AF-S mikro nikkor 105mm 1: 2.8G ED.
Hatchet
Battle of white-tailed and Steller's eagles. Golden Horn Bay.
Russia from a bird's eye view
The “Bird's Eye View of Russia” category also included footage taken by drone. I sent four photos with the hope of a picture of the protected Petrov Island in the Primorsky Territory. He probably doesn't look like him at all. Russian places, more on Thailand.
The other three photos show a couple of killer whales and a gray whale, which I was lucky to meet during a summer expedition to Kamchatka
The most beautiful country. Scenery
All the landscapes that were sent to the Russian Geographical Society photo competition “The Most Beautiful Country - 2017” were taken in Kamchatka, and over the course of just one day, at the foot of the Avachinsky volcano;)) ⠀ ⠀On this day, Volcano Day was celebrated on the peninsula. I sent four pictures.
In the first photo, the dog enjoys the view of the Koryakskaya Sopka volcano from the heights of the Avachinsky volcano. Height 1600 m.
And this is Mount Camel, which is located between the Koryaksky and Avachinsky volcanoes. Sunset and fog took their toll. 
..also Mount Verulud. A loving couple who happened to be in the right place at the right time was captured on camera. I found them a little later on Instagram using a geotag!
This was the first time I had seen such a phenomenon while shooting the night sky! This is the Moon rising from behind the shoulder of the Avachinsky volcano. The beam in the photo was movable. I have in
The III international photo competition of the Russian Geographical Society “The Most Beautiful Country” has been announced. Deadline July 31, 2017. Submission of works has been extended until August 15.
Organizer: All-Russian public organization “Russian Geographical Society”
Photographers from any country are allowed to participate in the competition, without age restrictions.
The photo competition is held in order to attract attention to the issues of preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Russia, as well as fostering respect for the environment through the art of photography.
The competition accepts photographs corresponding to the themes of the nominations, taken exclusively on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Nominations:
- PEOPLES OF RUSSIA (photos revealing the identity of the peoples of Russia, who in the age of information and modern technology have not lost their culture, farming and craft traditions, unique languages and the centuries-old connection of generations with wild nature);
- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. LANDSCAPE (landscapes of Russia, showing the beauty of the wild nature of our Motherland);
- WILD ANIMALS (photos submitted in the nomination must capture unique moments from the life of wild animals);
- BIRDS (stories from the life of wild birds, their interaction with each other and the environment);
- CAVES OF RUSSIA (photos that capture the beauty of the mysterious and unique world of caves in Russia. Photos of mines, tunnels and other artificial underground structures are not accepted);
- MACROWORLD (photos in this nomination show the invisible beauty and complex organization of the macroworld);
- FROM SUNSET TO DAWN (photographs that reveal the life of wildlife at night. Regardless of the subject, the work must reflect the character, convey the drama and emotional mood of wildlife at night);
- UNDERWATER WORLD (photos capturing moments from the life of marine and freshwater flora and fauna of Russia);
- RUSSIA FROM A BIRD'S EYE (reflection of the beauty of wild nature seen from the air. The subject of photography can be a landscape, animal, plant or other living organism. Photographs collected from several images are not accepted for the nomination);
- THE WORLD IN OUR HANDS (provocative photographs demonstrating how humanity is affecting the natural world of Russian wildlife);
- CULTURAL HERITAGE OF RUSSIA (the nomination is intended to draw attention to monuments of the material culture of our country that are on the verge of extinction);
- YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER (nomination for beginning photographers under the age of 13 inclusive);
- AUDIENCE CHOICE PRIZE (nomination, the winner of which is determined by open voting on the Photo Competition website).
