Modern festival
in an old city

About the festival

Yelets is a town with rich history and ages old traditions, it’s one of the thousands of small Russian towns that carefully preserve their identity. To gather photographers from Russia and other countries in Yelets, in Lipetsk land is to demonstrate the everyday life and spirit of provincial Russia as opposed to dressed-up, metropolitan part of the country.
The aim of the International Contest and Festival is to create a single portal and a propitious environment for communication, sharing experience, learning and popularizing of photographic attraction of small Russian towns and their environs, which reflect the richness of the Russian soul, history, culture, folk arts, traditions, diversity of natural landscapes, unique flora and fauna.

>1000 participants and guests
~50 events organized by partners and experts
25 invited experts

Photography contest is the heart of our festival

Contest objectives:

To accumulate in a single online space the best professional and amateur photos from Russia and abroad, made between January 2024 and April 2025.

Who can participate:

Professional and amateur photographers aged over 18 representing different artistic genres and having different levels of professional qualification are invited to participate in the Contest and the Festival regardless of their place of residence.

Rules of participation:

One participant may submit up to 15 photographs (nominations are to be chosen by the author). In order to participate you should register and fill in the application form in your personal profile.

Evaluation process:

1. Moderation and checking the compliance with the Contest rules, RF laws and technical requirements;
2. Finalist selection by the International Panel of Judges, selection of works for the exhibition;
3. Selection of winners in each nomination and category. The voting is anonymous and by secret ballot: the Panel members will not see the names of the participants till the list of finalists is published.

Contest submissions

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Nominations


Special award nominations

Over 50 events are planned within the framework of the festival covering all of the city

14 August 2025

On 14 August 2025 grand opening of the International Photography Festival “LIGHT AND COLOUR” and awards ceremony for the Contest of the same name will be held in Bunin Yelets State University.

14 August 2025

On 14 August 2025 large scale exhibition of the works of International Photography Festival “LIGHT AND COLOUR” will be opened in Yelets town park, each finalist will be able to personally present his/her works to the public.

15 August 2025

On 15 August 2025 the Festival participants will have a chance to discover the Town of the First, observe its tourist sites, learn about the major events of its 879 year old history (the town was founded in 1146).

Photo by Ivan Mosyanov

16 August 2025

On 16 August 2025 bus tours for the Festival participants to Kudykina hill, archaeological park “Argamach” and other places of interest in Yelets county and Lipetsk oblast will be held for the participants.

Experts

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Frequently asked questions

FAQ

How many photographs can I submit for the Contest?

Up to 15 photographs. If you upload a series, each photo in the series will be counted separately.

Can I delete/change a photo after submission?

Only before the moderation starts and your photos are posted on the web site.

What quality/resolution should be photos submitted for the Contest?

If your photo is selected for the finale, we’ll ask you to send us full size file, suitable for printing. Initially to submit the photo to the Contest you should make a compressed copy (keep the original file) in JPG format with minimal compression, preferably not more than 5 mb, colour scheme sRGB.

How many nominations can I apply fo?

Any number of nominations.

Can the same photo be submitted to different nominations?

No, it is not allowed.

Can I upload a series of photos to any nomination?

Yes, if you have series of photos you can submit it to any nomination.

Where can I read the complete rules of the Contest?

On the web-site, in the Contest section.

What are the timings of the Contest and the expert vote?

Applications are accepted from 1 March 2025, the submission deadline is 30 April, 22.59 Moscow time.
The Panel of Judges will make their decisions on 1-11 May 2025
The list of the finalists will be published on the Contest web site before 12 May 2025.

Who will evaluate the photos submitted for the Contest?

Renowned specialists in the field of photography: acclaimed photographers, photo editors, art experts, historians and professors of photography from Russia and abroad. You can find the list of panelists in the ‘Experts’ section.

What awards will Contest winners get?

Diploma, memorable prize and exhibition catalogue containing all the photos by the finalists.

Can photos for the Contest be taken with a smartphone?

Yes, if your smartphone allows to get high resolution image suitable for printing a poster not smaller than 300x400 mm

How can I find out whether my photos have been selected for the finale?

You can get this information from the publication of the list of finalists on the Contest web site and in social networks.

How can I take part in Festival events?

You can register online as a Festival participant on the Contest and Festival web site, book and pay for a hotel, arrive in Yelets at your own expense, confirm your registration in person at the Festival Staff Office, receive a pass to all Festival events, then actively take part in those events.

Where can I stay during the Festival? Are there discounts and special offers on accommodation for Festival participants?

You can stay at any hotel, hostel or private lodgings. We hope to negotiate special discounts on accommodation, the information will be provided separately.

Are all the Festival events free for the participants?

There is no fee for the Festival event attendance. You can access all the events only after personal validation of your registration in the Festival Staff Office

Organizers and partners