Meanwhile in Russia . . . The astonishing photographs that reveal the beauty and poverty endured by its 143million people


This is a year in the life of Russia, as seen by its keenest photographers.

The country may be in the midst of a fractious period, with widespread civil unrest over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's plans to return as President at next month's polls.

But this showcase of astonishing photographs reveals the beauty, and also the chronic poverty, endured by its 143 million citizens.



Freezing cold: This little girl looks like a traditional Russia doll as she is wrapped up warm - taken by Sergey Anisimov

Helping hand: Alexander Mikhailin's photo of a dog wrapped up against the cold was taken in Novosibirsk

Mesmerising: Boris Bochkarev's photo shows the almost therapeutic scene of Moscow's tower blocks stacked up behind each other Fearless: Marat Dupree's incredible image shows a man standing high up on the edge of a building site in the city of Electrostal

A beggar is seen counting his change as his dog, cloaked in a winter jacket, looks forlornly on. A daredevil balances precariously on the edge of a building site, surveying the city-scape before him. And a young girl jumps for joy on a broken bed frame, oblivious to the harsh conditions in which she lives.



Photographers for the Ministry of Culture-organised competition, which was initially launched in 2008, were given the sole brief to 'show me how you see Russia'.

Jumping for joy: Olesya Kuchukbaeva's photo,in Perm, shows pure happiness from her little subject who looks incredibly happy to be leaping about on a broken bed

Dance stars: Elena Ignatieff caught this couple dancing in a St Petersburg fountain (left), while Eugene Masalkov snapped an ensemble rehearsal (right)



Hot competition: Paul Miroshnikov's atmospheric picture shows relay race swimmers taking over from each over in a freezing cold pool

The only condition was that the pictures were taken within the country during 2011.

A panel of judges, including professional photographers and magazine editors, then whittled down the entries to the top 365 - to symbolically represent one image per day of the year.

Goal! A football flies through the air in this atmospheric shot

Winners: Moscow photographers Artem Achkasov (left) took this picture of cyclists, and Michael Helmets took the photo (right) of a black of flats

Smack down: Anton Kutlubaev's shot of wrestlers competing shows the brutal side of sport in Russia

Beauty and the beast: A Russian wedding is captured by Eugene Plishkin (left), while Mitya Aleshkovsky pictured a city in smoke (right)



Glorious view: Sergei Semenov's Golden Eagles over Moscow is a beautiful panorama of the country's capital

Skid row: Spring in Kolyvan is depicted by Alexander Bendyukov (left) as Pauline Akimov chronicled a forgotten land (right)



Thirsty work: Vladimir Semenov's snap in Tyumen depicts a youngster greedily guzzling water from an outdoors tap

Ups and down: Vladimir Smirnov took both of these pictures of a descendant of Genghis Khan (left) and of Santa Claus (right)



Hanging around: Ilya Epishkin found this athlete performing in Moscow's Red Square

Landscapes: These two images show the beautiful surrounds that Russians come face to face with every day



Prayer time: Artem Zhitenev snapped the spectacle of hundreds of Russians celebrating Eid ul-Fitr in the middle of Moscow

Drifting away: Dimitry Zverev's ice drift on Moscow River (left) and Vadim Trunov's World of Ants (right)

Formation flying: Alexander Shestakov's Wings over Moscow shows military jets over the capital from an ant's eye view

Old and the new: Moscow's older buildings seen through the gap in the city's skyscrapers by photographer Olga Egorova







