“Moscow. Architecture of Time” Architectural Photography Competition
The architectural photography competition explores changes in Moscow’s urban environment. Its programme features 19 new, reconstructed and restored sites, including buildings, bridges, metro stations and public spaces. Participants are invited to use their photographs to reveal the sites’ architectural qualities and their relationship with the surrounding city. The competition is held at the initiative of and with support from the Moscow Urban Planning Policy and Construction Complex. The Agency for strategic development "CENTER" serves as the competition operator.
The competition aims to capture Moscow’s architectural diversity through photography and show how changes in the urban environment are shaping the capital’s new identity. Participants are invited to explore the distinctive features of the selected sites and offer their own perspective on the city’s transformation. The competition seeks to encourage residents’ interest in Moscow’s architecture and identify the best photographs through expert selection and jury assessment.
The competition calls for the creation and selection of the best photographic images of 19 architectural sites in Moscow. These include the Bauman Moscow State Technical University campus, Gagarinsky Bridge, the Troitskaya metro line, the Valentina Tereshkova National Space Centre, the Central Moscow Hippodrome and the Eduard Streltsov Torpedo Stadium. Each entry must include between 3 and 10 photographs of a single site, accompanied by an essay explaining the photographer’s creative concept.
This open, nationwide, two-stage competition is intended for individuals aged 18 or over who are officially registered as residents in the Russian Federation and meet the requirements set out in the Competition Regulations. In the first stage, an expert panel assesses the photographs and selects 57 images, three for each competition site. In the second stage, the jury selects the winner and runners-up online. There is no limit to the number of entries submitted by each participant. First prize is RUB 1,000,000, second prize is RUB 500,000 and third prize is RUB 250,000.
Vladimir EfimovDeputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Planning Policy and Construction
Moscow is constantly evolving: new residential and public buildings, transport infrastructure and social infrastructure are emerging, changing the capital’s architectural character. The sites we invite participants to photograph have already become part of the urban environment and established new visual landmarks. Photography allows us to see these changes from different perspectives and preserve them in the city’s history. Our photography competition will give residents an opportunity to share their views on the capital’s transformation and showcase new buildings and architectural solutions. Initiatives like this help sustain residents’ interest in the city’s development and involve them in its transformation
Photo: Press Office of the Moscow Urban Planning Policy and Construction Complex
Competition Schedule
- October 14, 2026: submissions open.
- November 15: submissions close.
- November 23 - 30: finalists are selected.
- December 8: the jury selects the winner and runners-up.
- December 14: the awards ceremony is scheduled to take place.
Sergei GeorgievskiiCo-founder of the Agency for strategic development "CENTER", representing the competition operator
Architecture encompasses more than structures and façades; it is also a complex system of visual codes expressed through light, scale, rhythm and the history of a place. The ‘Moscow. Architecture of Time’ competition invites us to view the city as a multilayered narrative, with each photograph becoming a way to interpret the urban environment and document its transformation. We are looking for photographs that go beyond depicting a site to reveal its relationship with space, time and urban identity
Representatives of Moscow’s executive authorities and experts in architecture, visual arts and photography have been invited to serve on the jury.
The jury is chaired by Artyom Gennadyevich Dedkov, Deputy Head of the Moscow Department of Urban Planning Policy.
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Maria Derunova, First Deputy Head of the Office for the Coordination of the Moscow Urban Planning Policy and Construction Complex.
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Anna Martovitskaya, architectural critic and author of the Archiblog blog.
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Ilya Mukosey, architect and Creative Director of the ARCH Moscow exhibition.
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Alexey Naroditsky, architectural photographer and member of the Union of Artists of Russia.
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Elena Petukhova, Special Projects Manager at the Union of Moscow Architects and Coordinator of the “Identity in the Standard” project.
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Natalia Udartseva, photo editor, curator of major photography projects, Chair of the Moscow Branch of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia and a board member of the national union.
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Nikita Tokarev, architect and Dean of the MARCH School of Architecture.
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Ekaterina Shalina, art historian and Curator of the ArchiGraphics project.
Submissions for the “Moscow. Architecture of Time” competition close on November 15, 2026. To enter, participants must select one of the 19 competition sites, prepare between 3 and 10 photographs and an essay explaining their creative concept, register at moskvavkadre.ru and complete the entry form. There is no limit to the number of entries submitted by each participant.
