Intercultural inclusion and innovation at Moldova’s National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History

The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History has launched two innovative cultural applications aimed at promoting accessibility and intercultural dialogue. The initiative is part of an accessibility project organised by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova and the INFONET Alliance. These two applications were developed with the support of the organisation People in Need and include:

• An audio guide in Ukrainian and sign language has been implemented within an initiative of Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska. The guide allows visitors to explore the museum in Ukrainian and in sign language, using QR codes placed throughout 18 exhibition halls. It is the first inclusive audio guide in the Republic of Moldova, available in six languages (Romanian, Ukrainian, English, French, German, and Czech), created to facilitate access to cultural heritage for people with visual impairments. At the same time, it is the first sign language application available in both Romanian and Ukrainian.

• The AR application “Find the Deinotherium”, in Ukrainian, is an interactive augmented reality mobile app developed by Racketa Production under the "Museums of the Future" programme. It allows visitors to interact with one of the museum's most spectacular exhibits – the Deinotherium skeleton. As of April 1, 2025, the app is also available in Ukrainian, free of charge, on the App Store and Google Play.

The project was undertaken in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova, the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, Racketa Production, INFONET Alliance, the International Impact Centre Association, the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf (Kyiv), with financial support from People in Need Moldova and MAIB.

The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History is thus reinforcing its mission as an inclusive, innovative institution, open to all.

This activity was implemented under the project “Equal Access for All to Museum Heritage” as part of the People in Need grant programmes funded by SOS Ukraine, donations from the Czech people.