A huge annual photography competition aims to capture a year in the life of the biggest country on Earth. The Best of Russia contest attracts thousands of entries from amateur and professional photographers across the country.
Victor Berezkin, Moscow: Victory Day parade in honour of the 70th anniversary of Russia triumphing over the Nazis in the Second World War
Natalia Skripka, Partizansk, Primorsky Krai: Tired of War
Mitry Moiseenko, Kamchatka Krai: An aerial shot of Klyuchevskaya Sopka, an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the Kamchatka Peninsula
Vitaly Novikov, Ura-Guba, Murmansk Oblast: Aurora Borealis in the Murmansk region during the polar night. The vessel is illuminated with a flashlight
Vitaly Nevar, Kaliningrad: A child sees God as the people pray on the feast of the Nativity at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Kaliningrad
Alexander Kryazhev, Poteryaevka, Altai Krai: Evening prayer at a children’s Orthodox camp in honour of the Hieromartyr Clement of Ancyra
Natalia Garnelis, Moscow: Muslims pray during the festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque
Cyril Uyutnov, Uryung city, Sakha (Yakutia) Republic: An Arctic fox jumps on ice floes and icebergs in the Laptev SeaC
Denis Degtyarev, Nikolskoye, Kamchatka Krai: A sivush or northern sea lion, the largest representative of the family of eared seals
Daria Goritsyna, Saint Petersburg: Carefully You Listen
Dmitry Shirinkin, Sochi: Storm approaching on the sea
Daniel Korzhonov, Komi Republic: Mount Otorten in the Northern Urals in winter
Vitali Voronin, Balandino village, Chelyabinsk Oblast: Two veterans, Petro and Nastya, combined age 183 years. Grandma always patiently listens to his stories.
Yulia Kozlova, Moscow: International Military Music Festival at Spasskaya Tower, Red Square
Alexander Kadnikov, Kurgan Oblast: Museum in Kurgan
Vlad Sidorak, Moscow: Transition
Pascal Dumont, Moscow: Veteran of the Second World War, the honorary guest at a Victory Day parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Russia triumphing over the Nazis in the Second World War
Sergey Savostianov, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan: Czech diver Michal Navratil competes on the 27-metre platform at the XVI World Aquatic Championships
Julia Artemyev, Nizhny Novgorod: Marina Mastyka, a ballerina at the Nizhny Novgorod Theatre of Opera and Ballet, is pictured during a rehearsal
Octavia Kolt, Saint Petersburg: Angelina Vorontsova, prima ballerina, performs on stage at the Mikhailovsky Theatre
Larisa Ivanova, Saint Petersburg: An elderly woman kisses a goat at a dacha at Sinyavino settlement in the Leningrad region
Tatiana Shibaeva, Yakshanga, Kostroma Oblast: A dog is surrounded by goats
Anton Petrus, Multa, Altai Republic: Air bubbles frozen into the ice over Multinskiye lake, Altai
Kirill Sergeev, Baikal, Irkutsk Oblast: A labyrinth made of ice is built on Baikal lake on the day of the Vernal Equinox
Vitaly Ivanov, Hatanga, Krasnoyarsk Krai: The winner of the reindeer herders’ race in Taimyr in far northern Russia is covered in icicles
The judges of this year’s contest have selected 294 winners, across five categories: Nature, People and Daily Life, Style, and Architecture, and a special theme for this year: War and Peace Within Us. The only condition for entry is that photos must have been taken in Russia between September 2014 and November 2015. The images help to give an idea of the scale and diversity of a country so vast it spans 11 time zones.
Author: David Sim
Source: ibtimes.co.uk
