In short
Natalia Lubenets co-founded Space Memory and owns the way the school teaches. She trained as an economist: a degree from Kyiv National Economic University and seven years as a chief accountant. Teaching found her through her own son. In 2017 she opened a branch of the Indigo Mental Club arithmetic school in Kryvyi Rih, and in 2020, together with her elder daughter Karolina, she founded Space Memory — a school about memory, reading and attention rather than counting. Her students compete at international olympiads, and one of them holds an entry in the Ukrainian Book of Records.
The path
A short timeline: how an accountant became a memory-sport coach.
- 1Kryvyi Rih, 1977Born and raised in Kryvyi Rih. Graduated from Kyiv National Economic University and spent seven years working as a chief accountant.
- 2Her son NikitaWhile looking for ways to work with her son she saw how fast a child memorises poems and foreign words once given a technique instead of an order to learn.
- 32017 — the first schoolOpened a branch of the Indigo Mental Club mental arithmetic school in Kryvyi Rih and taught the groups herself.
- 42018 — qualificationCompleted professional training in mental arithmetic at the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University.
- 52020 — Space MemoryWith her elder daughter Karolina she founded a memory school: memory, speed reading and concentration instead of abacus counting.
- 6TodayShe owns the curriculum, trains the coaches and prepares children for international memory competitions.
What her method rests on
The same techniques that save seconds at a competition turn three hours of homework into one at home.
- 1Memory palaceThe child places the material along a familiar room or route and recalls it by walking that route in their head.
- 2Dominic O'Brien's systemNumbers and cards become images of people the child knows: a string of digits turns into a story the brain holds far longer.
- 3Person — action — objectEach number is coded as a trio of «who — does what — with what». Three elements instead of one give more hooks for recall.
- 4Short daily practiceA few minutes a day on the trainer instead of long weekly sessions: a skill holds through repetition, not through volume.
- 5Competitions as a testAn olympiad is not the goal — it shows whether the technique survives pressure and whether the child holds their nerve.
Start with the free test
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Our own numbers
These we count ourselves, from class registers and competition protocols. What can be checked without us is in the separate block below.
Eight years in class
Teaching groups since 2017 — mental arithmetic first, then memory and speed reading.
Over 2000 students
That many children have been through her classes over those years, by our own registers.
Over 120 awards
«Super champion» and «champion» titles and podium places won by her students at national and international olympiads.
Independent proof
Four places where someone other than us wrote about Natalia and her students. They open in a new tab.
Ukrainian Book of Records, September 2024
Sofia Tiuvikova, 12, memorised 200 numbers in 5 minutes. The record entry names Space Memory as the school and Natalia Lubenets as the coach (in Ukrainian).
Rudana TV, August 2025
International olympiad in Valencia: 282 participants from nine countries, 42 schoolchildren from Kryvyi Rih, Natalia Lubenets as team leader (in Ukrainian).
Rudana TV, March 2020
The Seven Continents olympiad in Prague: over 200 participants from ten countries, with the coach explaining the format (in Ukrainian).
Memoriad, UAE, November 2024
The page of the world mind-sport olympiad in Sharjah, 7–9 November 2024, where students of the school competed.
Questions and answers
Who is Natalia Lubenets?
Co-founder of Space Memory and the person behind its teaching method. A coach in mental arithmetic and memory sport, teaching children since 2017.
What is her background?
A degree from Kyiv National Economic University and seven years as a chief accountant. In 2018 she completed professional training in mental arithmetic at the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University.
How is she connected to Indigo Mental Club?
In 2017 she opened a branch of that mental arithmetic school in Kryvyi Rih. Space Memory came later and teaches something else: memory, reading and attention rather than counting.
Which student results can be verified?
Sofia Tiuvikova's entry in the Ukrainian Book of Records and Rudana TV reports from the olympiads in Prague and Valencia. All four links are in the block above.
Where do the 2000 students and 120 awards come from?
That is our own count from class registers and competition protocols. We label it as ours and keep it apart from what outside sources confirm.
How can I reach her?
Write to the school — the contacts are in the page footer. Natalia's professional profile is on LinkedIn, linked from her name above.
Start with the free test
Fifteen minutes with no sign-up will show where to start with your child. A manager will explain how the classes work.