The Office of the Historian of the City of Havana is still going ahead with a variety of activities to mark the 81^st birthday of Eusebio Leal Spengler, the man who, with determination, tenacity and commitment, left behind a much-admired legacy, a restored villa, a stunning historic centre and a cultural legacy recognised by the world.

This Wednesday, the deaf community and their relatives and mates visited the Plaza de Armas and its environs due to the implementation of the Independent Access to Heritage System (SAPI) and the employment of Cuban Sign Language (CSL) through QR codes, promoting a massive increase of access to culture by this community.

This product is designed to be immediately used to leverage the conceptual resources of video, design and CSL through the use of technology and the internet for the public benefit.

A gathering with Sergio González Cías, the former personal aide to Leal and presently working at the house that shares the name of the Havana historian, is to be held at the Museum of Cards. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was responsible for overseeing the Department for the Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

Exhibitions will take up a significant portion of the week. On Wednesday, the Numismatic Museum will have the opening of the Leal y Coleccionismo exhibition. Additionally, the Rubén Martínez Villena Public Library will be hosting the photographic exhibition Patria amada, which is a tribute by the Network of Historian’s Offices and the Curator of Cuba’s Heritage Cities.

At Casa de África, there will be a photographic and bibliographical exhibition on his life and work starting from this Thursday. In addition, a documentary will be screened. At Casa Víctor Hugo, there will be a meeting organized in coordination with the National Association of the Blind (Anci) of Old Havana. The purpose of this meeting is to exchange experiences with members of the visually impaired community who are involved in programs for the care of the elderly and vulnerable individuals. Zoila Raimond, the president of this organization in the municipality, will also share the findings of her research.

Leal entre nosotros II is the title of the collective exhibition that will open on Thursday 7th September at the Carmen Montilla Gallery, with works by Ileana Mulet, Silvia Rodríguez Rivero, Eduardo Abela, José Villa Soberón, Nelson Domínguez, Jorge Jacas, Manuel López Oliva, Oswaldo Guayasamín, among others.

His love and respect for the plastic arts is reflected in the works of these great artists, with whom he maintained a close relationship of friendship and admiration. To them he dedicated precise and heartfelt words that today stand out as a precious legacy of Havana’s most faithful lover.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez