Space in the Arts was the main theme of Library Night at the Russian State Art Library (RSAL), which has in its collections, materials dedicated to the form of contemporary art that arose in parallel with the exploration of the vast universe. At the opening, guests of the Library were able to become acquainted with space-related books, albums, reproductions of paintings ....
For the first time, RSAL’s guest, the Library of the Polytechnic Museum, presented Russia’s first Braille books: Collection of Articles for Children’s Reading, Published and Dedicated to Blind Children by Anna Adler (1885) and Collection of Biographical Articles for Blind Middle School Children (1887). Library representatives talked about the legendary Anna Adler, the 19th-century pioneer printer who published textbooks for blind children to learn to read and write in Russia. The Central Scientific and Technical Library for Construction and Architecture’s staff presented its rare publications on space topics.
Future artists and technologists, students of the Moscow Art Theatre School, told about the secrets of modern theatre technologies and the art of imitation. For the ‘Dreams of the Baroque. Fantasy and Reality in the World of Costume’ exhibition they created figures of famous musketeers, a puppet theatre, and accessories for 17th-century characters made using paper, acrylics, glue, and cardboard.
In a lesson on kindness, members of the Wise Dog Club, who train guide dogs for the visually impaired, showed how dogs help their owners. They also explained how to properly provide assistance on the street and in institutions for people with vision problems.
The Interplanetary Expedition Quest, based on the cartoon Mystery of the Third Planet, ‘sent’ children on an incredible journey to the stars; and older children in the masterclass were able to make business cards in Japanese.
The programme closed with Library Jazz on the library’s stage performed by students and graduates of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, many of whom have already become winners of various vocal competitions.
