The promotion of the publication “Architecture at Your Fingertips – an accessible lexicon of Montenegro” was held in the Library of Accessible Formats of Montenegro “Vojislav Minić” [Voyislav Mineech] on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026. The lexicon was prepared as a result of the partnership project of the Historical Institute of the University of Montenegro and our Library.
The organizers, the director of the Institute of History, Radenko Šćekić [Radenko Shchekich], PhD, and the research assistant, Jelisaveta Blagojević [Yelisaveta Blagoyevich], PhD, spoke about the professional aspects, the creation and complex structure of the lexicon, while the meeting was moderated by librarian Hana Dubak [Hannar Dubak]. Director Božidar Denda [Bozhidar Dairnda], MSc, spoke on behalf of our Library.
The Lexicon is the final activity of the project of the same name aimed at bringing the architectural heritage closer to persons with visual impairments through the use of multi-sensory tools, making the cultural heritage of Montenegro accessible to everyone. The edition includes over 90 landmarks divided into units that deal with Christian and oriental culture objects, bridges, aqueducts, as well as fortification objects, palaces and old towns.
The importance of the initiative is best illustrated by the prestigious prize of the Council of Europe for the best story of The 2025 European Heritage Days (EHD), with a grant of 10,000 EUR, while the international promotion will be rounded off with a presentation in Strasbourg in December 2026, within the framework of Montenegro’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
In addition to the publication itself, which is available in black print, in audio format, but also in a digital version on the Library’s website, the project includes the development of audio guides with soundscapes, the creation of tactile maps of Kotor, Ostrog and Stari Bar, and the creation of digital guides for screen readers, along with numerous educational workshops.
Visitors also had the opportunity to see the accompanying exhibition of tactile displays and 3D models of some of the landmarks represented in the lexicon. Thanks to the support of the Council of Europe through the European Heritage Days event, this project was recognized as one of the leading European examples of the promotion of inclusive cultural heritage and was awarded a prestigious award in competition with dozens of project ideas from all over Europe.