Deaf and Hearing. Book Collection

A selection of books in the GES-2 Library devoted to the Deaf community, its history, culture, language, and related subjects.

The GES-2 Library collects books from a wide range of fields that would not normally be found on art-focused shelves but reflect the mission of the House of Culture and its commitment to being open and accessible to everyone, including members of the academic community. To support the emerging interdisciplinary field of Deaf Studies in Russia, we have created a dedicated shelf in the reading room. It features research on the Deaf community, explorations of contemporary Deaf and hard-of-hearing cultures, discussions of what it means to belong to the community, and books that broaden understanding of the identities of its members.

The shelf will be regularly updated with new suggestions by educators, researchers, and specialists studying Russian Sign Language and Deaf culture.

The idea for this collection grew out of the Exploring the Deaf Community study group, which has been meeting at the House of Culture since November 2022. Its participants—young people aged between 14 and 21—work alongside mentors including researchers, educators, historians, and sociologists to explore how Deaf identity is formed in Russia. Together, they read and discuss key books and articles addressing different aspects of the subject.

Deaf and Hearing is an ongoing programme at GES-2 House of Culture. It brings together projects that support the development of Deaf culture and encourage reflection on its distinctive features, introduce wider audiences to the identities of members of the Deaf community, and create opportunities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people to participate in cultural practices available to the general public.