Portrait of Kamchatka “garbage” bears entered the world TOP of the best photos
Photo by Vladimir Goiiiguk.
A photo of bears living in a landfill, published on the KAMCHATKA-INFORM agency’s website, was included in the annual catalog of the 35AWARDS international award for 2024 in the “Reportage” nomination.
Their author is a photographer from Yelizovsky district, who works under the name Vladimir goiiiguk. “Born in Kamchatka,” is how he called his work depicting a pair of young bears, which are called garbage bears on the peninsula. The shot was taken at a landfill located a few kilometers from the village of Sobolevo in western Kamchatka. At first, the photo was posted on social media. Then the author allowed to post this photo on the website of our news agency.
What Vladimir told the world testifies to the severity of the peninsula’s environmental problems, which still do not find a solution. In almost all coastal areas of the region, more than one generation of bears has grown up, looking for food in garbage cans. Dozens of bears at a landfill in Kamchatka are as commonplace as stray dogs in ordinary landfills. As a rule, predators are not afraid of people and cars at all. This is clear evidence that a civilized waste disposal system has not been created in the region.
“It’s nice to know that Kamchatka bears will “decorate” the kaleidoscope of photographs by professional photographers of the world, or rather, they will show the problems of our beautiful region,” says Vladimir goiiiguk.
The 35AWARDS International Award, founded in 2015, is the largest annual photography competition aimed at enthusiasts and professional photographers. The categories of the competition cover a wide range of genres of modern photography: from reportage and portrait to conceptual photography.
For the most independent and objective judging every year, the organizers attract 35 jury members from different countries. Photographers over the age of 18 are invited to participate. Applications are accepted free of charge. During the competition, the “100 best photos of the year” and “100 best photographers of the Year” are determined, and their work is published in the annual photo album.
The editorial board of KAMCHATKA-INFORM congratulates Vladimir on such high professional recognition.