Unleash Your Inner Creator: Join Yandexs Repair Cafe of Beautiful Fixers

On April 25 and 26, we invite all those who enjoy working with hardware, wielding a screwdriver, and aren’t intimidated by microchips to join our two-day workshop titled “Curators of Beauty” in Moscow. Bring along your non-functional gadgets and tools, or if you don’t have those, simply bring your experiences, opinions, and ideas of varying degrees of craziness.

On the first day, a **mobile exhibition** will open its doors. It’s not just an ordinary exhibit, but rather a space filled with pure love for technology and hardware. Discover mysterious artifacts from both the past and future, including robots, servers, lidars, and gaming consoles. Everything is touchable, and all buttons are fair game to press.

**A workshop will be operational on both days**— a space for hands-on experience and skill exchange. If you want to repair a headphone jack, dismantle a Yandex Station, solder wires onto a broken console, or simply play around with Arduino, this is the place for you. We’ll have tools (including a selection of soldering irons for the most discerning), spare parts, and most importantly, experts from Yandex and service centers who can help diagnose issues and provide guidance on repairs. On Friday, the workshop will offer slots of one and a half hours with on-site registration, while on Saturday, the slots will last three hours, allowing for advance booking.

Additionally, a **tech swap** will be available both days, where you can trade unwanted items for something you need. For instance, if you’ve discovered a first-generation iPhone on your balcony and don’t know what to do with it, bring it along and swap it for a memory card or something else useful. We’ll also rummage through our own supplies and promise to bring along some interesting hardware.

A broad perspective is part of Yandex’s unique professional culture, reflected in our **talks**:

**Arsentiy Gusev → “How the Heart of Robots Beats.”** Arsentiy will explain how mechanical assistants function, the tasks they tackle, and the benefits they provide to people. We’ll also explore what makes up these robots and how to interact with them correctly.

**Sergey Shlyakhov → “Industrial Design of Yandex’s Delivery Robot.”** Sergey will discuss the journey of the delivery robot at Yandex, how its design has evolved, and the reason its robot has «eyes.»

**Alexander Sokolov → “How I Built a DNA Reader with a File.”** Alexander will share his experience in creating and enhancing a high-tech device for DIY DNA sequencing.

**Anton Kortunov → “Subtle Aspects of Server Thermal Design.”** Anton will delve into some physics, analyze modern radiator types, and outline key ideas necessary to implement.

**Gennady Krail Kruglov → “Circuit Design and Lightsaber Algorithms: Challenges and Solutions.”** Discover the electronics behind lightsabers: lighting, sound, motion recognition, power supply, and settings adjustments. We’ll cover the tasks to tackle and issues to consider if you wish to replicate this.

On April 25, a **series of workshops** will take place, where we’ll break and fix an electric scooter, learn quick server hardware repairs, and master SMD soldering.

**Maxim Suvorov → “Resolder in 60 Seconds: Repairing Server Hardware.”** Participants will learn to diagnose issues, replace SMD components, work with soldering equipment, and verify repair results.

**Bogdan Krapivin and Stepan Matskevich → “Dismantling a Scooter: What’s Inside, What’s Broken, and How to Fix It.”** In this workshop, we’ll take apart a scooter and understand the function of its components, discuss common malfunctions, and learn how to fix them.

**Alexander Sokolov → “Soviet Generator at 25–40 GHz.”** We’ll analyze a generator in this workshop, studying its microwave components and troubleshooting control issues through reverse engineering of four discrete logic boards to identify faulty elements or broken connections.

For retro enthusiasts: we’ll be fixing the legendary “Leningrad” computer all day Friday, a device many once took apart. We aim to restore several units and get retro games running.

Alongside the workshop and tech swap, there will be a program for young engineers from the Yandex Museum, featuring master classes on device assembly. Parents can work alongside their children on these projects, making it even more engaging.

**Master Class: «Catch the Flame»** (10+). Assemble an electronic retro game using chips made about fifty years ago.

**Master Class: «Giant Ping-Pong Ball Clocks»** (10+). Build electronic clocks on a breadboard, learning to program microcontrollers and manage a color matrix.

**Master Class: «Programming LEGO Robots»** (7+). Assemble and program robots, followed by competitions.

Registration for the children’s workshops opens after completing the main registration.

You can find all additional information and the program details on the landing page for “Curators of Beauty.” You can also register for the event there.