Moscow's Nazım Hikmet Foundation announces Russian-Turkish photo contest marking his 125th birthday

Moscow's Nazım Hikmet Foundation has announced the Russian-Turkish photo contest “Landscapes of My Homelands,” marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkish poet. Entries will be accepted from November 1 to December 31, 2026, participation is free, and the exhibition will open on January 30, 2027.

Moscow's Nazım Hikmet Foundation has announced a Russian-Turkish photo contest with prizes, dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of the distinguished Turkish poet. The project is titled “Landscapes of My Homelands” (Memleketlerimden Manzaralar in Turkish) and aims to use photography to tell stories about the nature, cultural heritage and people of the two countries linked to Hikmet's life.

The contest is open to both professional and amateur photographers. Anyone over the age of 18 may participate, and participation is free. Entries will be accepted from November 1 through December 31, 2026, while a photo exhibition will be held on January 30, 2027, featuring the results of the contest.

Poster for the Russian-Turkish photo contest “Landscapes of My Homelands” marking Nâzım Hikmet's 125th birthday

From Istanbul streets to Moscow squares

Organizers invite participants to capture different parts of Türkiye and Russia, including their cities, people and ways of life. The contest themes include the landscapes of the two countries, urban stories, homeland and memories, nature, everyday life, historic buildings, cultural heritage and traditions. Participants may also submit photographs reflecting Russian-Turkish ties and the cultural dialogue between the two peoples: from Istanbul's historic streets to Moscow's squares, and from Anatolian villages to the vast expanses of Russia.

The authors of the best entries will receive prizes, while selected photographs will be included in the exhibition. Organizers say they will announce details of the prize fund and the exhibition venue later.

The poet of two homelands

Nâzım Hikmet was born on January 15, 1902, in Thessaloniki and became one of the best-known Turkish poets of the 20th century. In 1951, he moved to the Soviet Union and spent the final years of his life in Moscow, where he died in 1963. The poet is buried at Novodevichy Cemetery. Themes of homeland, humanity and homesickness, which hold an important place in his poetry, also form the basis of the current contest.

Applications can be submitted through the organizers' online form after reviewing the contest rules.

Photo: archive; poster: Moscow Nazım Hikmet Foundation

Moscow's Nazım Hikmet Foundation announces Russian-Turkish photo contest marking his 125th birthday