Computers Without Computers: How Informatics Was Taught 40 Years Ago

The Fastest-Changing School Subject

Russia is celebrating 40 years since informatics was introduced into the school curriculum. The subject quickly became the foundation for entirely new professions. To mark the anniversary, Yandex Textbook and Yandex Museum joined forces to show how informatics evolved and became a gateway to the jobs of the future.

What began with flowcharts now includes teaching students how to use neural networks. This makes informatics one of the most adaptive school subjects, evolving alongside the very technologies it describes.

Yandex Textbook has published an interactive quest lesson that draws on Yandex Museum’s collection of computing history. According to Yandex, “Teachers are encouraged to start computer science classes with an interactive lesson that visually demonstrates how the digital era began and how technologies changed. The quest format guides students through key milestones in computing and connects past discoveries with the present and their own experience. The lesson was developed by Yandex Textbook methodologists together with Yandex Museum experts.”

Retro Computers and Artifacts

Complementing the online materials is a traveling exhibition called 'Informatics Everywhere.' It will visit Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk, featuring retro computers and other artifacts from Yandex Museum’s collection. The exhibition also highlights careers in high demand today, such as data analysts, AI trainers, industrial designers, and accessibility specialists.

Forty years ago, computers were very different from today’s machines. Naturally, they sparked curiosity and excitement among young people who wanted to understand what they were. That’s why schools introduced informatics. Sometimes, teachers even had to explain computers and calculations without actual hardware, teaching theory alone

Vladimir Giglavy

computer science teacher

The project is open to everyone via a dedicated website, bridging history with contemporary education.

How Yandex Supports Learning

The connection between education and technology has strengthened in recent years, and Yandex has played a key role in that shift. The company uses technology to increase young people’s interest in IT careers and expand digital literacy.

For example, Yandex Museum continues to expand, opening branches in Belgrade, Almaty, and St. Petersburg since 2022. The museum organizes festivals and workshops for teenagers, while Yandex Textbook complements this with online resources and classroom tools.

Yandex Textbook is a free platform offering ready-made computer science lessons for grades 5–11. Teachers can create classes, assign tasks, and track student progress automatically.

Model of IT–School Collaboration

The anniversary project demonstrates an exemplary model of collaboration between IT companies and schools. Such experiences could be adopted by the Ministry of Education at both federal and regional levels.

By bridging past and future, the project makes computer science history engaging for students while strengthening Yandex’s role as a trusted partner in education. It also opens pathways for future digital content, including VR tours, mobile apps, and interactive tools that could complement traditional school subjects.