The scheme is that rare thing – an interesting concept derived from an open competition. In 2015, the Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation and the Association of Branding Companies of Russia launched an open competition for a visual identity to promote tourism in the country. Over 480 logos were whittled down to a shortlist of ten (some of the less well-resolved entries can be seen here) which the public could then vote on. In November 2017, a committee selected a winner from the top three most popular choices by the public vote.