After 14 Years, Belarus Returns to the International "Wiki Loves Monuments" Contest. Any Photos of Local Architectural Monuments are Welcome

The "Wiki Loves Monuments" contest will continue until the end of October on the Wikimedia Commons platform.

The Belarusian segment previously participated in this competition in 2012. Back then, the main prize for the international final winner was a trip to Hong Kong for the "Wikimania" conference. Now, the authors of the five best photographs will receive electronic gift certificates worth 200 rubles for purchases in online stores. The jury reserves the right to adjust the number of prize-winning places depending on the quality of the materials.

During the 2012 campaign, users uploaded over 7,000 files to the database, of which only 7 images received "Quality images" status, and one was designated "Featured picture."

Павялічыць

Significantly fewer photos have been uploaded for this year's contest so far, but many of them have already been recognized for their technical execution. Currently, 1,170 files have been added to the category, with 32 of them already designated as "Quality images." The corresponding marker on Wikimedia Commons is given to images that meet strict standards of composition and execution. Of almost 150 million available files across the entire project, only about 0.3% have such a rating.

Why Has Belarus Not Participated For So Long?

The idea of global monument archiving emerged in 2010 when the Dutch Wikipedia collected over 12,000 images of national architecture. The presentation of this experience in Wroclaw triggered a chain reaction. By 2011, the project united 18 countries, and participants uploaded over 168,000 photographs, securing the contest a place in the Guinness Book of Records. In 2012, the global community uploaded 353,000 images within the framework of the contest.

Павялічыць

After a successful start in 2012, Belarus disappeared from the contest map for a decade and a half. As we wrote earlier, this was due to several reasons: lack of sponsors, a low level of civil society development, and most importantly, specific linguistic disunity. Belarusian editors are historically divided among three linguistic versions of the encyclopedia: official Belarusian, Taraskievica, and Russian. The fragmentation of resources long prevented the formation of a single organizational center. All these years, Belarusians could only participate in national contests of other countries.

What Kind of Photos are Expected?

Павялічыць

For participation in the 2026 campaign, a textual register of objects has been created based on the Russian Wikivoyage project. The lists are distributed by regions and districts. They include official architectural monuments and historical buildings created before 1990, partly taken from the local history catalog "Globus Belarusi." An interactive map is available for geographical search. Files must be uploaded strictly through the individual object links on this map so that the image is automatically linked to the monument identifier in the encyclopedic database.

Павялічыць

Participants are required to upload files of at least 2 megapixels under a free license, avoiding duplication of similar angles. A separate block of rules regulates digital processing. For technical photographs that capture the condition of monuments, only minimal intervention is allowed. Artistic processing is permitted but requires mandatory clarification in the file description, and ideally, parallel uploading of the original image. Any use of artificial intelligence tools for generating or improving details must be strictly declared. Watermarks and author's signatures on images are prohibited.

Павялічыць

Why Some Monuments Will Remain Invisible

This contest is a continuation of the campaign to fill Wiki projects with current photos of Belarus. Let us remind you that in August, Belarus, along with Kazakhstan, served as a pilot site for the "Wiki Loves Villages" project, whose goal was to collect images of 23,000 rural settlements. In two weeks, volunteers uploaded 2,445 photographs to the database, capturing not only architecture but also agricultural machinery or interiors.

As during the village stage, filling the encyclopedia is complicated by the absence of freedom of panorama in Belarus. According to legislation, photographs of Soviet-era buildings, monuments, and mosaics may be deleted from Wikimedia Commons for copyright infringement if 71 years have not passed since the death of their author.

Павялічыць

Traditional wooden architecture, pre-revolutionary churches, and palaces do not fall under these restrictions. In a situation of gradual destruction of historical buildings and the loss of their original appearance due to unprofessional repairs, uploading even dry technical shots remains the only available way to track what is happening with Belarusian architecture over decades.

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