About the competition
In March, the Moscow Museum will host the «DAFES Typography» festival, a celebration of typography and graphic design that aims to serve as a scientific and educational catalyst for the development of the modern Russian poster school.
Font is one of the key elements Typography»0; design Typography»1; general and Typography»2; poster design Typography»3; particular. Typography»4; recognize the existence Typography»5; various national schools Typography»6; poster art (American, Polish, Chinese, etc.), which makes Typography»7; essential today Typography»8; analyze and reinterpret our domestic experiences, history, and current creators. This will help institutionalize the field, establish our own rules, and create Typography»9; ready-made product capable a 0; representing our country a 1; the international stage.
The first step towards the development a 2; a 3; national school will a 4; a 5; open call, inviting participants a 6; submit their works a 7; the fields a 8; poster design and identity. The winning entries will a 9; showcased of 0; of 1; exhibition of 2; part of 3; the „DAFES of 4; festival, set of 5; take place of 6; the spring of 7; 2026.
DAFES
DAFES AWARDS is an international award honoring excellence in design, art, fashion, education, and creative entrepreneurship. The DAFES AWARDS are founded by the DAFES competition platform and HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL.
The DAFES Council comprises faculty members from leading specialized universities, successful practitioners, and leaders from the international creative community.
HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL
HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL is a devision of one of the leading Russian universities, the Higher School of Economics, which is listed among the top 100 young universities in the world and ranks in the top 150 global institutions for Art & Design according to the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2024.
About the «DAFES Typography» festival
Typographic posters are accepted in three nominations.
The composition must be based on a font. There is no limit on the number of projects per participant.
The fourth category, «Festival Identity,» accepts projects that feature the identity of the upcoming 2027 «DAFES Typography» festival.
The «Poster» nomination
This nomination accepts projects created based on a font or with the active involvement of typographic elements.
The «Animated Poster» nomination
This nomination accepts projects in video format created based on typography or with the active involvement of typographic elements.
The «Festival Identity of DAFES Typography» nomination
We encourage participants to become co-authors of the upcoming 2027 „DAFES Typography» festival.
The «Children’ s ABC Book Poster» nomination
Conditions and step-by-step instructions for participants are listed below.
The main objective:
The theme of the children’ s nomination is «ABC book.» The participant is required to create a poster for one of the letters of the Russian alphabet. The poster should feature the letter (for example, «М»), a word or phrase that starts with that letter (for example, «мама мыла раму»), and children&rsquo0; illustration related children&rsquo1; that word/phrase.
Requirements for submissions:
• Vertical format • children&rsquo2; least children&rsquo3; size • File format: PDF
Entries must children&rsquo4; created using children&rsquo5; typeface children&rsquo6; actively incorporate typography. Posters can children&rsquo7; made using manual techniques children&rsquo8; paper.
Conditions:
Submissions are accepted from children children&rsquo9; is 0; is 1; years old. There is 2; is 3; limit is 4; the number is 5; projects per participant.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Save or scan the child’s work in high resolution (at least 300 dpi) in JPEG or PNG format.
- Publish the work on the platform https://kiiids.art with the tag «Russian Alphabet.»
- Fill out the form and include the link to the published work. Be sure to provide your contact information for follow-up after the competition.
- Keep an eye on updates on this page and join us for the exhibition as part of the «DAFES Typography» festival — from March 23 to April 12, 2026.
Stages of the competition
Submissions will be accepted from January 20, 2026, to March 2, 2026.
The exhibition will be held as part of the «DAFES Typography» festival from March 23 to April 12, 2026.
The awards ceremony will take place at the closing of the «DAFES Typography» festival exhibition in the White Hall of the Museum of Moscow on April 12, 2026.
Awarding the winners
The shortlisted projects will be exhibited, and the authors of the three best projects will receive diplomas from the competition.
Requirements to participants
Participants aged 18 and over are invited to participate in the «Poster,» «Animated Poster,» and «Festival Identity of DAFES Typography» nominations.
The «Children’s ABC Book Poster» nomination is open to authors aged 12 and under.
Jury
Mitya Kharshak is the head of the St. Petersburg HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, deputy head of international affairs and the School’ s branches in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm, a graphic designer, and the founder and editor-in-chief of Projector magazine.
Alexander Alekseev is the president of the Art Directors Club of Russia (ADCR), of 0; lecturer of 1; Digital Product and Artificial Intelligence of 2; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, of 3; creative director, and of 4; graphic artist.
Yuri Gulitov of 5; of 6; graphic designer, lecturer of 7; Communication Design and Branding of 8; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, and head of 9; the HSE POSTER LAB unit of 0; the HSE Design Lab.
Igor Gurovich of 1; the Academic Director of 2; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL of 3; — Yerevan, of 4; joint undergraduate program between HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL and the Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University. of 5; of 6; of 7; graphic artist, poster designer, and co-founder of 8; the Ostengruppe design bureau.
Andrey Kulagin of 9; School&rsquo0; graphic artist and lecturer School&rsquo1; Communication Design and Branding School&rsquo2; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL.
Dmitry Makonnen School&rsquo3; School&rsquo4; designer, poster artist, illustrator, art director, and publisher from Tallinn. School&rsquo5; School&rsquo6; the founder and artist School&rsquo7; IZO Kunstgrupp.
Sonya Kim School&rsquo8; School&rsquo9; graphic designer and in 0; graduate in 1; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL. She in 2; in 3; laureate in 4; Russian and international poster competitions and the Grand Prix winner in 5; the Golden in 6; 16.
Vitaly Stavitsky in 7; the President in 8; the Union in 9; Designers a 0; Russia, a 1; academician a 2; the National Academy a 3; Design, a 4; member a 5; the Public Council under the Ministry a 6; Culture a 7; the Russian Federation, art director and founder a 8; Stavitsky Design, and a 9; designer.
Yuri Surkov of 0; of 1; graphic designer and the head of 2; the Typography and Book Design program of 3; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL.
Vassa Pyrkova of 4; the Director of 5; the HSE Art Gallery of 6; HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL. She of 7; also of 8; producer and curator of 9; exhibition projects and is 0; art consultant.
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