Zenit vs Belogorie volleyball at Platonov Academy | sports photographer Saint Petersburg. Sports Photographer in Saint Petersburg

November 29, 2025

Zenit fight back from 0–2 to a tie-break against Belogorie, VAR checks light up the court and the away fans suddenly sound like the home crowd. From my spot on the baseline, this Super League night turned into a perfect case study in high-intensity match photography.

My name is Anton Gauf, a sports photographer Saint Petersburg, and this time my gear followed Zenit to their home court at Platonov Academy. It was the 10th round of the men’s Super League 2025/2026, Zenit Saint Petersburg against Belogorie Belgorod. While the teams were just getting the balls rolling in warm-up, I was doing my own routine: checking the light on the serve line, mapping out backgrounds behind the attacks and picking a spot next to the bench for the most emotional frames.

The start was rough for Zenit. Two sets go to Belogorie, the hosts look heavy, the bench is unusually quiet, and in my photos you can almost hear the silence between rallies. For organisers and clubs, these moments are just as important as flying players and perfect blocks, so I kept the shutter busy. Then the match flips: from 0–2 Zenit drag the game back to 2–2, the gym gets loud, and suddenly it turns into pure sports photography chaos — dives in defence, celebrations at the tape, coaches yelling instructions over the noise.

Twice the referees go to the VAR screen, and the whole court is pulled into the discussion. I stay close, working classic match photography angles: reaction shots from both benches, the referee’s calm face, hands pointing at the replay. At the same time I’m tracking Yakovlev. Last season I shot him in Zenit colours, now he’s scoring and blocking for Belogorie against his former team, and that storyline alone could fill a separate gallery.

In the tie-break Zenit fall just short, 2–3, and the last frames of the night are a mix of Belogorie’s joy and the tired acceptance on the home side. Handshakes, hugs, a few long looks at the scoreboard — details that leagues, federations and brands are usually looking for when they book match photography in Saint Petersburg. If your club or event needs this level of coverage, I’ll be happy to bring it to your next game.

See the full gallery with the best moments from Zenit vs Belogorie volleyball match here: Zenit (Saint Peterburg) — Belogorie (Belgorod).