The key facts
- Submissions for the 'A View Through the Heart' award are open until December 1, the prize is 300 thousand rubles
- Participants include journalists from media registered in Russia and creative teams; works from 19.10.2025 to 19.10.2026
- The award is held for the third time; last year it was won by the team of RT's Arabic service led by Anna Knishenko
Submissions open for the Nikita Tsitsagi memorial award
Submissions have opened in Russia for the journalism award 'A View Through the Heart', established in memory of the late war correspondent Nikita Tsitsagi. According to NEWS.ru, where the journalist worked, the winner of the competition will receive 300 thousand rubles. The award is being held for the third time.
Participation conditions
The competition is open to authors of materials about people who found themselves in difficult life circumstances — victims of natural disasters, environmental catastrophes, military conflicts and socio-economic upheavals. The main condition is to show what is happening through the fate of a specific person. Journalists from media registered in Russia and creative teams may participate. Works published from October 19, 2025 to October 19, 2026 are eligible. Submissions are accepted until December 1 inclusive, and the organizers plan to announce the winner's name by the end of December.
Jury and opinions
The materials will be evaluated by an expert jury, which includes Russian Foreign Ministry official representative Maria Zakharova, TASS Director General Andrei Kondrashov, military correspondents, public figures and laureates of previous years. NEWS.ru Editor-in-Chief Olga Saburova emphasized that journalism should not merely record events but also help readers feel other people's stories; according to her, Tsitsagi was distinguished by this approach, combining strong writing with expressive photography.
Past laureate and the memory of Tsitsagi
Last year, the award went to the team of RT's Arabic service led by war correspondent Anna Knishenko for the report 'Military Medics on the Front Line' about the work of medics in the Kursk border region. The award was established in honor of the NEWS.ru correspondent who had worked in the combat zone since 2022. Nikita Tsitsagi died on June 16, 2024 near Ugledar at the age of 29. According to the editorial office, the journalist was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike while preparing a report on the life of the monks of the Nikolsky Monastery.
