Inclusive Exhibition about Special Listening Unit Opens at HSE Ahead of Victory Day
On April 16, 2025, the HSE Cultural Centre hosted the opening of the tactile and inclusive exhibition ‘Touch the History of Victory.’ The event is part of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, announced by the President of Russia, and commemorates the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). The exhibition was developed by Vladimir Malyuchkov, a second-year master's student at the HSE Faculty of Creative Industries.
The exhibition is dedicated to the story of 12 blind residents of besieged Leningrad who volunteered during the Great Patriotic War. The display is specially designed for people with disabilities, offering visitors not only the opportunity to view exhibits but also to engage with them through touch. On display are replicas of monuments, medals, and other historical artefacts related to the war.
The exhibition is presented in two formats: six traditional posters and six tactile posters tailored for visually impaired visitors, featuring Braille text, raised illustrations, and tactile infographics.
At the opening ceremony, HSE Vice Rector Irina Martusevich addressed the guests. She noted that the organisers had created a unique project marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War. ‘At HSE, we see our mission as not only education and scientific research but also social responsibility—a value shared by leading universities around the world. We aim to improve the world around us, not only within the university but beyond its walls as well, and we hope to see many more such projects in the future,’ said the vice rector.
Exhibition creator Vladimir Malyuchkov shared how the idea for the project came about: ‘About a year ago, a classmate and I took part in the HSE Creative infographics competition. We worked non-stop for 12 hours and, as fatigue set in, decided to call it a day. I took out my contact lenses and looked at our drafts. With my eyesight being minus six in both eyes, all I saw were blurred lines—the text was unreadable. That was the moment I started thinking about how to make infographics accessible for blind people,’ the student recalled.
Last year, Vladimir developed a method for adapting five visualisations for people with visual impairments, and this year, he has continued his research in this area.
‘Our exhibition is about the “Listeners”—a special unit of blind individuals with perfect hearing, who, during the 872-day Siege of Leningrad in 1941–1944, identified enemy aircraft in the sky. Anyone can become a hero if the times, circumstances, or personal resolve demand it. All 300 blind people who remained in the city during the siege applied to join this special unit. Each one of them wanted to contribute and help,’ said Vladimir Malyuchkov.
In the future, the creator of the exhibition plans to continue telling the story of the unit’s social impact. ‘By continuing to speak about the Listeners—blind people who proved essential and valued during the blockade of Leningrad—I want to show that people with disabilities, whether visual, auditory, or mobility-related, can be heroes too,’ he added.
Among the honoured guests at the exhibition was blind singer Diana Gurtskaya, People's Artist of Russia and Chair of the Commission on Accessible Environment and Inclusive Practices of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. She emphasised that ‘everyone should be able to see their country’s history, have the opportunity to touch it, and understand it.’
Mikhail Terentyev, multiple medal winner at the Paralympic Games in biathlon and cross-country skiing, Chairman of the All-Russian Society of Disabled People and Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labour, Social Policy and Veterans’ Affairs, also attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition. ‘I am glad this exhibition is taking place here. It is important for people to remember their history, to talk about it, and to tell the stories of heroes we may never have even known existed,’ he said.
Andrey Saak
The inclusive exhibition ‘Touch the History of Victory’ was organised with the support of the HSE Office for Target Student Support. Its head, Andrey Saak, emphasised that students come to them with a wide range of projects—from initiatives within the GosVyshka student leadership platform and the All-Russian Student Initiative Contest to personal projects aligned with the office’s areas of focus. ‘By supporting our students’ initiatives, we show them that their efforts can be recognised,’ Andrey Saak said. ‘We help them bring their ideas to life, showcase their talents, and believe in their own potential. Our goal is to give students a push toward personal and professional growth.’
Marina Kosyachenko, Manager at the HSE Office for Target Student Support, added that the exhibition was made possible thanks to the efforts of many people. ‘Blind students were part of the team that tested the exhibition posters, students from the HSE campus in St Petersburg processed the audio description scripts, and colleagues from the Multifunctional Innovative Television Centre helped record the exhibition’s audio content. That’s why this project is a large-scale, socially meaningful collective effort,’ she said.
The exhibition is open to visitors at the HSE Cultural Centre until April 26, 2025.
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