A New Mural at the IOE: Education, Culture, and the Art of Evidence
Earlier this summer, the IOE launched a public competition to design a new mural for the courtyard façade. Street artists, designers, and creative teams from across Russia were invited to take part and contribute to the institute’s visual and cultural landscape.
The idea behind the project was to create an artwork that would become an organic part of IOE’s academic environment — a place where cutting-edge research is conducted and new visions for the future of education are formed.
For several years, the wall was home to a well-known graffiti piece by artist Stefania Shumtseva, beloved by many students and staff. Over time, however, the mural began to fade, and the idea arose to give the wall a fresh start — to create a new image that reflects the IOE’s evolving identity and mission.
Participants in the competition were encouraged to explore themes such as education as a cultural phenomenon, key figures in Russian educational history, the “dream” educational organisation, and innovation and technology in learning
The competition’s winning concept by Daria Tyutikova artistically captures the main ideas and values of the Institute of Education. Her work visualises the IOE as a dynamic mosaic — a collection of unique elements that together form a single whole.
The mural depicts open doors symbolising access to the wider world, the institute’s iconic monument to the anonymous reviewer, and interlinked hands representing the IOE’s global partnerships. At the centre lies a magnifying glass, symbolising the institute’s commitment to the principles of evidence and rigorous research.
At the opening ceremony, IOE Director Evgeniy Terentev presented the concept behind the mural and reflected on how it captures the essence of the institute’s mission — to unite creativity, knowledge, and social impact in reimagining education for the future.