“Yesterday and today in Central Asia”: In this 2026 edition, the Novastan team explored Central Asia through portraits, street scenes, playful moments, and fleeting coincidences ; each revealing a glimpse of time.

Jury Prize

The jury was impressed by the quality of all submissions, making the final decision especially challenging. After careful deliberation, the jury awarded Jan Hildner the Jury Prize. Bravo to him !

Hildner’s work offers a telescopic view of Samarkand, presenting a patchwork collage of passages, passers-by, Bibi Khanum Mosque, and Siab Bazaar. His photograph brilliantly captures the living spirit of the historic city.

Audience Award

The Audience Award went to Niels Hildebrandt, who also celebrated Uzbek life by portraying Bukhara. His images lead viewers through quiet streets in the historic center, revealing a peaceful town where childhood unfolds quietly. 

Uzbekistan was therefore in the spotlight for this 2026 competition! We’ll see where the next years take us… 

Thank you to all the participants who made this 2026 edition of the Novastan photo competition such a great success.

Find all of our photos of the day. You can buy some of these and receive them at home: here is the list! If you can't find your picture in the list, mail us to photo@novastan.org.

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Bukhara : a precious, powerful and protected testimony of a prestigious past serving a project for the future.

Credits : Jan Ritter (Austria, @janritter10)

Find all of our photos of the day. You can buy some of these and receive them at home: here is the list! If you can't find your picture in the list, mail us to photo@novastan.org.

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The walls and domes of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, restored many times over, emerge like a dream from the metal structures of the great Siab market in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Credits : Jan Hildner (Germany, @_janhildner)

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‘I have always been moved by things that once were but are no longer. This image is a photograph of the main bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, being demolished in the summer of 2025. In the background, you can see contemporary Soviet and post-Soviet housing estates.’

Credits: Anir Amski (France, @anir_amsky)

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The government continues to construct new, modern, and elegant buildings to house all branches of government. A huge flagpole with a flag clearly remains a major priority. However, little has been done to preserve the charm of old Dushanbe or to take basic urban planning into account.

Crédit : Maiya Ivanova (Bulgaria, @mhi.mhi.mhi)

The post Novastan photo contest #6 Potemkin Dushanbe appeared first on Novastan English.

Despite being only a few dozen meters away from Bukhara‘s historic core, the quiet, narrow alleys surrounding it feel far away from the bustle of the vibrant city center listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only the outlines of the madrasas and the Kalyan Minaret rising above the rooftops function as a quiet reminder of one’s location.

So far, these backstreets have remained largely untouched by Uzbekistan’s tourism boom. Yet as space becomes scarcer and prices rise, it is uncertain how long this seemingly unbothered atmosphere of local resident life can endure.

Credit: Niels Hildebrandt (Germany, @nl_hldbr_photobox)

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These three Uzbek women, probably tourists, are taking a selfie in front of the place of Registan, proudly exhibiting their traditional outfits. This scene illustrate a facet of modern Central Asia : exploring its pre-soviet past, and embracing globalization, where traditional customs and historical places become touristic attractions.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan, October 29, 2023

Credits : Fernand Fort (@frnnd_frt)

The post Novastan photo contest #4 : Selfie in Registan appeared first on Novastan English.

The cities in which we like to take our time today are those whose history goes back to the most ancient times. Denov, Uzbekistan.

Credits: Marc Mangin (France)

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The threshold, a brief moment that lingers – between cultural heritage, tomorrow and independence. Fortress Mug Teppe, Istaravshan, Tadjikistan.

Credits : Petra Lühmann (Germany)

Find all of our photos of the day. You can buy some of these and receive them at home: here is the list! If you can't find your picture in the list, mail us to photo@novastan.org.

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Novastan launches its 2026 photo competition on the theme ‘Yesterday and today in Central Asia, between tradition and modernity, the new faces of Central Asia’.

Our world is changing rapidly, and Central Asia is no exception! Cities are undergoing a transformation, making a clean break with the past to showcase a desirable but globalised modernity. At the same time, countries are reviving traditions and mythical pasts to create a strong national identity… and attract tourists. 

What is the face of Central Asia today? Post your best photo on the theme of ‘Yesterday and today in Central Asia, between tradition and modernity’. Try to win one of our prizes:

Publication of the 10 best photos on our website, in our Photo of the Day section and on our social media accounts between 28 February and 9 March

People’s Choice Award: receive a 30 x 40 cm enlargement of your photo

Jury prize: a one-year subscription to the French version of novastan.org and a 30 x 40 cm enlargement of your photo

The competition is open to everyone, amateurs and professionals alike, from 26 January to 23 February 2026.

How to enter? 

Post your photo on Instagram (not in Stories or Reels) with the hashtag #novastanphotocontest and tag Novastan as a collaborator on your photo.

Don’t have an Instagram account? Send us your photo by email to the following address: photo@novastan.org, attaching the following by 23 February at the latest: 

Your full contact details (surname, first name, country)

A title and caption

The location where the photo was taken

The results will be announced on 16 March.

Credits : Hannah McMillen (@the_crease_in_the_atlas, UE), Turar Kazangapov(@Kazangapov.t , Kazakhstan), Sascha Ronneburger (Germany), Novastan.

Authors are solely responsible for all rights relating to the images they present.

The post Novastan photo contest 2026 appeared first on Novastan English.

Novastan is launching its second photo competition on the theme of ‘Frame the Joy’! Post your best shot and win a year’s subscription to our media.

How to enter?

Post your photo on Instagram with the tag #novastanphotocontest and add Novastan as a collaborator to your photo.

Don’t have an Instagram account? Send us your photo by e-mail to the following address: photo@novastan.org, along with a caption, a title and the place where the photo was taken, as well as your precise contact details (surname, first name, country), by 15 October at the latest.

The ten best photos will be published on our website, in our ‘Photo of the Day’ section, and on our social networks between 25 October and 3 November. The results will be announced on 4 November. The winner will receive a one-year subscription to novastan.org.

Authors are solely responsible for all rights relating to the images they submit.

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