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Rules

Revised on 17 November 2025, see https://pastvu.com/news/160

  • 1. General provisions

    • 1.1. The website "PastVu - Retro photos of mankind's habitat habitat" (hereinafter "PastVu", the "site"), located at https://pastvu.com, is a non-commercial, private electronic resource that offers internet users who accept this agreement and the rules of the site the opportunity to post images depicting life and development of different settlements around the world and any other images that interest the user from a historical perspective and to comment on and rate the images posted. The activities of the site users must not violate the legal norms of the Russian Federation and other states to which the images published by the user as well as the user himself are related.
    • 1.2. The main purpose of the site is to collect images reflecting the life of humanity and development of different settlements of the world up to the year 2000 inclusive, as well as to unite people interested in this.
    • 1.3. "Image" is one of the following objects of visual art: photography, painting, drawing, engraving.
    • 1.4. "User" (also hereinafter referred to as "visitor", "participant", "author", "you") - any person accessing or otherwise using the website services (as a guest or registered user).
    • 1.5. "Administrator" - a person who has access to all the site management elements.
    • 1.6. "Moderator" is the person who selects and publishes incoming images and is empowered to control comments to images and on the Forum.
    • 1.7. In addition to this agreement, the site administrators may establish additional rules governing certain aspects of the use of the services provided by the site.
    • 1.8. By using the services of the site, the user accepts all clauses of this agreement, as well as all clauses of the rules, which concern the services used by the user on this site. In case of disagreement with at least one paragraph of this agreement, the user is obligated to leave the site. The fact of registration at the site of the user is the full and unconditional acceptance of this agreement. Disregard of any clauses of this agreement and rules does not exempt the user from responsibility of complying with them. Failure to comply with these terms may result in denial of access to the website's services and, in some cases, may result in civil or criminal liability under applicable law.
    • 1.9. The user is responsible for the security of his or her login and password and for anything done on the site under the user's login and password. The user is solely responsible for all information, images and other materials (hereinafter "Materials") that the user uploads, receives, transmits or otherwise makes available through the site.
    • 1.10. The user promises not to offer for publication any materials that are illegal, harmful, offensive to morality, in breach of copyright; materials that the user has no right to make available under law or under any contractual relationship, which affect any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights and/or copyright and related rights of third parties, the publication of which on the site is prohibited explicitly or implicitly by the author of these materials
    • 1.11. The user shall not use the site for uncoordinated sending and/or transmitting information of an advertising, commercial or propagandistic nature.
    • 1.12. The site administration reserves the right:
      • 1.12.1. Set any restrictions on the use of the site;
      • 1.12.2. Terminate the service user password and delete any user data in case of violation of the provisions of these terms of use;
      • 1.12.3. Modify this agreement and additional rules at any time;
      • 1.12.4. Suspend or discontinue the site's services.
    • 1.13. The administration of the site provides the user with an opportunity to create a single personal account. If the user creates more than one account, the administration reserves the right to delete the accounts created by the user and/or refuse the user to use the site.
    • 1.14. The user has no right to access any information other than the user's own information in his/her account or that provided by other users of the site, publicly available information published on the site, or information to which access has been explicitly granted by the site's administration.
    • 1.15. By placing their materials on the site, the user allows their further use free of charge by the users of the site for personal purposes, not related to commercial gain: reproduction in the memory of a computer, in the memory of a mobile cellular system, other reproduction for personal use.
    • 1.16. Any use of materials published by the user for commercial purposes is only possible with appropriate permission from the copyright holder of the specific image.
    • 1.17. Site services are provided "as is". The administration of the site is not responsible for:
      • 1.17.1. Relevance of the site to the user's goals and expectations;
      • 1.17.2. Direct or indirect damage caused to the user as a result of errors, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files, changes in functions, defects, delays in data transmission, unauthorised access to communications and/or user data due to technical failures, malicious actions or other situations;
      • 1.17.3. Direct or indirect damage caused to the user due to the publication of images and other materials on the site by the user or other persons;
      • 1.17.4. Statements or conduct of any third party on the site;
      • 1.17.5. Termination of the user's access to this site and its services;
      • 1.17.6. Materials posted, created or published by users of the site.
    • 1.18. The user is fully responsible for the safety of their login and password and for losses that may arise due to their loss or unauthorised use of their account. The administration of the site is not responsible and does not cover losses caused by unauthorised use of the login and password of the user's account by third parties. All actions performed by the visitor, logged in with the username and password of the user, are considered to be the actions of the user. The user is fully responsible for all actions performed by an authorised person on his/her behalf.
    • 1.19. The site administration is not responsible for misappropriation of other people's images and other materials by the site users (in other words, if the site user uploads someone else's images with attribution of authorship/ownership), as well as for other cases of copyright violation for materials posted by the users. However, the administrators try to monitor and stop such cases whenever possible.
    • 1.20. Any user can view and save the published images and other materials on their computer (copy to their computer). Administration under no circumstances can be held liable for further use of materials obtained from the site.
    • 1.21. These rules shall come into force on the date of their publication.

  • 2. Procedure for selecting and placing images

    • 2.1. The selection of images for the site is carried out by moderators. When making a decision, the moderator follows the criteria established by the administration for selecting images. The final decision to publish or reject an image is made automatically based on the opinions of several moderators.
    • 2.2. Rejected images are accompanied by an indication of the reason for rejection, which is displayed in the history of image changes in the user gallery
    • 2.3. The user has no right to expect further clarification of the reasons for rejection of the uploaded images or deletion of the published ones. However, in the case of unlawful, in their opinion, actions of a moderator, the user can write a complaint to the administration at [email protected]
    • 2.4. By submitting your images for inclusion on the website, you transfer to the website your non-exclusive proprietary rights to them (the right to make public or allow public disclosure of the image in any form) for any non-commercial use of the images within the website. All manipulations with the images legally (at the author's request, with the author's consent) published on the site, such as transferring to other sections, removal from the site, etc., are the exclusive prerogative of the administration and those authorized by the administration. Withdrawal of images from the site is not desirable, removal in this case is made only when there are valid reasons.

  • 3. Criteria for selecting images

    • 3.1. We are interested in images that reflect the history of the place and society with the exception of:
      • 3.1.1. Low-quality images, when it is not clear what is shown in the picture
      • 3.1.2. Family photos, portraits of people and animals without clear attribution to the location (except for genre scenes that convey the spirit of the era)
      • 3.1.3. Which dimensions are less than 700 pixels along the larger side (margins, if any, do not count).
      • 3.1.4. With large size (more than 10% of the image area) copyrights and non-original captions (also see section 8).
      • 3.1.5. Photographs taken after the year 2000 and other images created after 1980;
      • 3.1.6. Over 50 megabytes in size;
      • 3.1.7. Small size or low quality, enlarged in a graphic editor to 700 pixels or more, as well as those obtained via screen capture (screenshot), this also applies to video;
      • 3.1.8. Images of museum and exhibition exhibits (paintings, sculptures, models, machines, engineering systems, mechanisms, automotive and motor vehicles and similar objects);
      • 3.1.9. "Enhanced" using neural networks, AI, and other software tools and services (including digital colourisation); in other words, removing dust and reducing "digital noise" is permissible, but adding information that is not present in the original image is not; this point does not apply to cases of removing extraneous inscriptions (see section 8.2);
      • 3.1.10. Containing large margins or passe-partouts frame (more than 10% of the image area, see also section 3.7);
    • 3.2. Images without coordinates are accepted into the "Where is it?" section if the user specifies the minimum information about the shooting point:
      • 3.2.1. For images of urban environment - country of shooting
      • 3.2.2. For images of separate architectural objects, buildings, landscapes, non-architectural objects - country, region, nearest settlement.
    • 3.3. Pages from newspapers, magazines, and other publications where an image accompanies text (except for the title of the photo) will be rejected. The image should be uploaded separately from the text, and the text, if it is important and is a description of the image, should be given in the description field. The text printed (written) over the image should not be deleted - moderators will decide on each such photo separately.
    • 3.4. "Joining" of photos taken from different points and/or directions will be rejected. "Joining" of photos taken at different times will also be rejected.
    • 3.5. Historical images in which certain fragments (individual figures, faces of depicted persons, historical symbols, etc.) have been subjected to "digital censorship" (blurred, cut out, replaced with ovals or otherwise "photoshopped") are considered to be deliberately damaged and not worthy of publication on the website.
    • 3.6. Users uploading images are not expected to intentionally "age" images or remove any details that clearly identify the image as post-2000. Such actions cannot be called anything other than intentional falsification. In case such an act is detected, the falsified images will be deleted immediately.
    • 3.7. If the original image contains wide margins or a passe-partouts frame (more than 10% of the total image area), such images must be cropped to the edges of the photograph/painting/drawing itself (or to 700px in width if the photograph/painting/drawing itself is smaller than this size). Sometimes the design of the passe-partouts frame of a historical photograph is important for attribution — such cases should be clearly stated in the description of the image, but the final decision in each case is made by the moderator. Digitised postcards should be uploaded in their original form, preserving the margins that are present on the original, cropping the image to the physical boundaries of the object.

  • 4. Text content

    • 4.1. Text posted in comments to the images and in the Forum (hereinafter "Messages") serve to discuss the images and other information posted by users on the site.
    • 4.2. Messages are prohibited to include:
      • 4.2.1. Personal and public insults, pointing out and discussing physical and mental aspects of any site user, as well as personas in the images, including political figures (with no time limits);
      • 4.2.2. Statements that explicitly or implicitly incite racial, national and/or religious discord and intolerance, as well as hurt the religious, national and other feelings of any visitor to the site;
      • 4.2.3. Use of obscene (profane) words and expressions, as well as symbols to replace them.
    • 4.3. Any opinion posted is the personal opinion of the visitor. Posts on behalf of any group of people (nation, nationality) or state are not permitted unless the speaker is explicitly authorised to do so.
    • 4.4. It is not allowed to publish deliberately false messages aimed at misleading site visitors.
    • 4.5. No personal correspondence is allowed. Use email for this purpose.
    • 4.6. It is not allowed to publish messages that have little meaning and carry no useful information ("flooding"), including:
      • 4.6.1. Messages like "+1", "I agree", "I see", etc.; a stream of messages of short phrases that can be combined into one and sent as one message;
      • 4.6.2. Highlighting the number of images the user has on the site according to some criteria;
      • 4.6.3. Information about the location of users or persons in the images;
      • 4.6.4. Comments aimed solely at attracting users' attention to their images, including the unjustified use of comments instead of the "Note" field when uploading.
    • 4.7. Political and ideological discussions are forbidden on the site. Active participants and provocateurs of such discussions are put on indefinite premoderation.
    • 4.8. Links to third-party sites with restricted access (e.g. requiring registration to view them) are not permitted in the text of messages.
    • 4.9. In order to avoid duplicating of discussions, before writing a message, it is recommended to read earlier discussions on the given topic, at least - to look through other discussions within the same section, as well as to use search engines (Yandex, Google). In case of systematic duplication of discussions penalties are applied to the user.
    • 4.10. It is recommended to reply in the same language as the original message, unless otherwise indicated by the author of the original message.
    • 4.11. Moderators have the right to delete any posts without giving a reason.
    • 4.12. For violation of paragraphs 4.1-4.10 the user may be subject to penalties in the form of pre-moderation of messages or transfer to read mode for a limited period or indefinitely.

  • 5. Image naming rules

    • 5.1. Currently, when you upload an image to the site, the Title field automatically shows the name of the corresponding file on your computer. It should be replaced with the name for the image.
    • 5.2. The names of images are given in the national language of the country where the image was taken or in English. The national status of the territory is determined at the time the image is uploaded or at the time the image is created. It is permissible to name images on the former territories of the USSR in Russian.
    • 5.3. The names shall be written in lower case letters. Capital letters are used in cases stipulated by the rules of the respective language.
    • 5.4. The names are written according to the rules of modern orthography.
    • 5.5. The title of the image is the title of the page, no full stop is needed at the end of the title.
    • 5.6. The title of the image should preferably be brief, no more than 120 characters. It is logical to place long descriptions and lists of the objects shown in the image in the description field.
    • 5.7. The date of the photograph is not included in the image title. The year the photograph was taken or the year of the event depicted in the image is indicated in the corresponding field. A more precise date for the image may be specified in the description of the photograph, which may also indicate the year the image was created (if it differs from the period depicted).
    • 5.8. The image title should not repeat the names of regions automatically determined by the system (down to the city level). It is acceptable to indicate the name of the city if it was different at the time of shooting than it is now. Names of regions below the city level (parks, memorials, estates, etc.) may be shown in the image title.
    • 5.9. Names like: "My backyard", "I am near my house" are unacceptable. Also unacceptable are vulgar place names such as "Old Smoke", "The Valleys", etc. Such informal names, if desired, should be mentioned in the description.
    • 5.10. Names of streets and other objects should be given as of the date of image. It is permissible to give the current name in parentheses if it differs from the previous one. In cases where the year of the photo is unknown, and the name was changed within the supposed period, write both names, e.g. for a photo taken between 1930 and 1940: College Road (Eton College Road).
    • 5.11. It is acceptable (but not mandatory) to retain the original titles if they are known, are not offensive, do not contain obvious errors, do not contradict historical facts, and are consistent with the general approach to naming images on the website ("Spring on Oxford Street" is acceptable, "Spring is here!" is not). The moderator decides whether to keep the original title or not.
    • 5.12. If the author's title of the image is known and contained in the specified source, it should be indicated in quotation marks in the image description field.
    • 5.13. Titles should not contain abbreviations other than those permitted in addresses (e.g., "str.", "cres.", "av.", "sq." etc.), initials, and the similar.

  • 6. Specifying authorship and sources

    • 6.1. The site administration is very interested in the fact that users indicate the source from which the images were borrowed accurately in the appropriate field. In the case where the source is not indicated, or indicated knowingly falsely, and the legal owner of the site presents claims, paragraph 1.16 of these Rules comes into force. A dishonest attitude towards the indication of the source of the image(s) may lead to civil or criminal liability in accordance with the current legislation.
    • 6.2. When providing a web link to the source, such a link should lead to the page of the website or post on the forum or social network containing the published image, and not to the image itself, album or main page of the website. For websites that do not have links to the page containing the image (all photos are viewed on the same page with the same address), it is acceptable to provide two links: one to the website page and one to the image itself.
    • 6.3. For still images from digitised video, the source must be indicated by a link to the digitisation from which the storyboard was taken (publication on a video hosting site, page of another website, peer-to-peer networks, DVB) and/or an indication of the format of the source medium (DVD, BluRay, VHS), etc.
    • 6.4. For storyboards for films and documentaries, the director should be listed first as the author, followed by the cinematographer.

  • 7. Requirements for nicknames and profile pictures (avatars)

    • 7.1. The user has the right to register under his/her real name or choose a nickname or pseudonym which he/she will use for communication.
    • 7.2. The nickname must not be:
      • 7.2.1. Contain words, expressions, combinations of letters that are obviously interpreted as swearing, insults or profanity;
      • 7.2.2. Be similar to the nicknames of administrators and moderators to the extent that other users would be misled.
    • 7.3. Usernames must not contain obscene (indecent) images that offend public morals and are contrary to generally accepted standards of morality. In case of failure to comply with these requirements, the site administration reserves the right to block the user's account before making changes to the nickname and/or the username.

  • 8. Policy regarding third-party watermarks and logos

    • 8.1. The website does not welcome the removal by users of watermarks and logos of authors and copyright holders of uploaded images, as well as cultural institutions (libraries, museums, archives). This applies to cases where such a mark looks acceptable, respectful to the historical image, and does not spoil it. Logos and watermarks that are located directly in the centre of the image, or multiple watermarks that are arranged in a grid or stripes across the entire image area, are unacceptable.
    • 8.2. The site does not accept images containing proprietary logos of any kind (names of online auctions, websites, blogs, names of online sellers, etc.) that are not related to the above. However, seamless removal of such extraneous inscriptions is permitted.
    • 8.3. The special case is website watermarks where photos are published by the authors themselves (owners of personal and family archives). The decision on the appropriateness of such watermarks is made by moderators on a case-by-case basis. In general, it is advisable not to upload images containing a watermark or logo that is not clearly identifiable as a mark of the author, copyright holder, or cultural institution.