FREE ENTRY / The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest 2026

The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest was established on December 22, 2014 under the patronage of the Russian Federation’s Commission for UNESCO. The Stenin Contest is the only competition in Russia that discovers new names in international photojournalism and develops quality standards for documentary photography. The contest aims to support young photojournalists aged 18 to 33, who can submit work to five categories. The new 'Energy of Life' category is open to photographers aged 34 and over.

This year the contest celebrates its 12th anniversary.

The contest offers photo journalists an opportunity to make their concerns known. The main themes of the contest include global humanitarian challenges, national identity, social equality and the environment. The number of contest participants and the countries they come from has been growing every year. The contest itself is gaining popularity also thanks to the exhibitions of the winning entries, which have become an integral part of the event. They have been held in dozens of countries, including China, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Turkey, Lebanon, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Hungary and others.

The annual application period starts on stenincontest.ru|stenincontest.com on December 22, the birthday of Andrei Stenin. The entries will be accepted on the contest’s website until 28th of February, 2026 in Russian and English.