Support The Moscow Times!

Belgorod Boy Wins Google Doodle Competion

The winning doodle design features a samovar, a nesting doll and a bear.

A drawing by an 8-year-old resident of a small town in the south of the country depicting national symbols like a nesting doll and samovar was chosen Monday to be the logo for Google.ru

The drawing, by Pyotr Alexeyev, of Belgorod, was chosen by the Internet giant from more than 5,000 works sent by children across Russia who participated in a contest announced by the company earlier this year.

Participants ages 6 to 17 were asked to send their doodles — drawings devoted to various holidays or significant historical events that Google places on its home page — depicting traditions of Russia or any of the country's cities.

The winning doodle, devoted to Alexeyev's hometown, 670 kilometers south of Moscow, depicts the search engine's name drawn on a piece of birch bark. A traditional Russian samovar and a  wooden nesting doll form the logo's letters. The other symbol in the doodle is a brown bear holding a tub of honey.

As a reward, the boy received a tablet computer and a trip to Google headquarters in the United States with his family, the company said in a statement. Google will also provide equipment for his school's computer class.

The search engine uses doodles by professional artists to tell users about significant historical dates, the company's staff artist, Sophia Foster-Dimino, told RIA-Novosti earlier this year.

The doodle posted Monday on the British and German versions of Google was devoted to the 197th birthday of British mathematician Ada Lovelace, known as the world's first computer programmer.

Related articles:

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more