International Photography Olympiad
«PhotOlympic-2025»
In August 2025, the International Photography Olympiad «PhotOlympic-2025» was held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
Organizers: the photography community «24th Frame» (Serbia) and the International Photography Community «Art Portrait» (Russia).
Certification and support: the competition was held under the certification of the International Association of Photographic Art (IAAP), with the support of Russian, foreign, and international photographic unions, associations, communities, and ambassadors.
The project aims to preserve, promote, and develop national and global cultural heritage through the art of photography. This is one of the main reasons why we chose the city of Saint Petersburg as the location for our competition since it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, possessing outstanding universal value for present and future generations of humanity.
From January to June, during the remote stage of the project, three qualifying rounds were held. Based on the results, judges of international qualification level selected 96 photographers to participate in the final stage (semifinals and finals) of the Olympiad in Saint Petersburg.
From August 18 to 25, 2025, the semifinals and finals of the «International Photography Olympiad «PhotOlympic-2025» took place.
In the semifinals, participants were given 24 themes. Within 24 hours, they had to present 24 photographs to the jury. For the organization of the semifinals, the following routes were created:
• «CENTRAL», Historical Saint Petersburg (Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress, Palace Square, Summer Garden, Field of Mars, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral);
• «NORTHERN», Modern Saint Petersburg (Lakhta Center – Gazprom Tower, 300th Anniversary Park of Saint Petersburg, Gazprom Arena, Krestovsky Island).
In the final, 24 photographers competed, and their works were evaluated by 24 jury members.
To foster the exchange of experience in the field of photographic art, the Olympiad featured master classes and lectures by leading Russian and international photographers, presentations of new photo equipment, conferences, and excursions in exhibition and museum centers, bringing together more than 300 photographers.
At the end of the competition, the Awards Ceremony was accompanied by the final exhibition «Saint Petersburg through the Eyes of World Photographers», showcasing more than 150 works by Olympiad participants.
The creation of the «PhotOlympic Monograph», as the result of the largest international photography competition, holds special cultural and historical value.
We are confident that the International Photography Olympiad «PhotOlympic» will become a significant event in the world of photography and will contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage while strengthening friendly ties between photographers and nations.