key words: type specimen, motion graphics, promo video, research, typography

Baakhynai is a typographic project that celebrates the Sakha (a vast region in northeastern Siberia, Russia) language and identity while highlighting the erasure of Indigenous cultures in Russia. The project consists of a type prototype, a printed type specimen and a digital type specimen presented. For the project’s promotion I developed a short video demonstrating versatility of the typeface, the visuals of which were accompanied by traditional Sakha music.

The project was presented at the GradX exhibition, ATypI conference in Copenhagen and TU Dublin Research Symposium 2025, and the type specimen book copies were sold at the DABF 2025.

Inspired by Sakha literature, especially my grandfather’s poetry book, it is both a practical tool and a tribute, sparking dialogue around Indigenous rights, language preservation, and cultural resilience.