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.
Categories
Top News – one photo image/series of images
Sports – one photo image
My Planet – one photo image/series of images
Portrait. A Hero of Our Time - one photo image/series of images
Top View – one photo image
The Energy of Life – one photo image/series of images (open to photographers aged 34 and older)
Subject: Any
Participating countries: Any
Fee: None
Contest prizes
– Grand Prix – RUB 700,000 (seven hundred thousand).
– First Place for one photo image/series of images in each category – RUB 125,000 (one hundred and twenty-five thousand).
– Second Place for one photo image/series of images in each category – RUB 100,000 (one hundred thousand).
– Third Place for one photo image/series of images in each category – RUB 75,000 (seventy-five thousand).
Contest Sponsors may also offer additional prizes.
Intellectual property For the purposes of this Contest, the Contest Participants grant the Organizer the right to use the Photo Images submitted to the Contest.
Right of use
For the purposes of this Contest, the Contest Participants grant the Organizer the right to use the Photo Images submitted to the Contest. Contest Participant concludes the Agreement with a Contest Organizer by accepting the Offer. Contest Participants who accepted the Offer grant the Organizer a non-exclusive license to use the Photo Images for the purposes of the Contest by the means stated in the Offer. The License to use the Photo Images is granted by the Contest Participant free of charge and from the date when the Contest Participant transfers the Photo Images to the Organizer by uploading them to the Website until the end of the Contest.
Tell a story, submit your entry!
Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest is an annual contest aimed at supporting photo journalists in their striving for top professionalism.
See the World, Share Your Vision: Enter the Stenin Contest!