Description of the attraction
The Estonian National Museum is located in Tartu. It was created in 1909 and is dedicated to the memory of the famous ethnographer, the famous collector of folklore, Jacob Hurt. Initially, the activities of the museum, bearing the name of the scientist, were aimed at preserving his richest collection. But the collection developed very quickly and acquired such a scale that the museum began to be called simply Estonian.
Initially, the Estonian Museum was housed in several rooms, which were provided by the authorities of the city of Tartu. After some time, Estonia gains independence, and, accordingly, museum workers have the right to expect that the new government will give them due attention. Indeed, at the beginning of 1922, the museum moved to the Raadi estate, which was once the property of the wealthy Liphard family.
After the museum was placed in a noble estate, there were many complaints from, first of all, Estonians, since the museum exposition was mainly devoted to peasant culture, and the Liphard building looked more like a museum with an artistic focus. This discrepancy caused a lot of criticism in the society. But there was nothing to do, because the museum did not have sufficient funds to build its own premises. After the Great Patriotic War, the Raadi estate was completely destroyed.
The former courthouse was home to an Estonian museum, but there was no permanent exhibition. In the 1980s, the idea of rebuilding the museum on the Raadi estate came up, but nothing came of it. For many years, the museum was in oblivion.
In 1993, the Estonian National Museum experienced its rebirth. The former railroad club became his property. After a year, the building was completely restored. The permanent exhibition “Estonia. Land, people, culture”. A commission was formed to find a fitting site for the long-awaited new museum building. The land was chosen not far from Toome Hill. A design competition was organized, in which the young architects T. Tuhal and R. Luse won. The Estonian Parliament decided to start construction in 2002.
The Estonian National Museum is not only an art collection, but also a scientific one. The museum's collections, which also attract Western European ethnographers, are the basis for ethnology studies at the University of Tartu. When creating the fund, the museum employees pay special attention to ancient monuments of Estonian history, as well as exhibits telling about the life and life of ordinary people.
Ethnographers, directly confronted with the real threat of erosion or even complete disappearance of the ancient peasant culture, set the main task of the museum's work: to preserve everything related to the history of culture. Namely, to preserve archaeological finds - tools made of stone, iron, bronze, ancient manuscripts, coins, books.
The museum has a rich library covering almost everything that was published in Estonia, a collection of art objects, as well as a huge photo archive.
The museum tells about the history and culture of not only the Estonian people, but also the Finno-Ugric peoples, especially the Baltic group.
The permanent exhibition tells about everyday life and the holidays of Estonian peasants. Several halls were given over to the exposition of peasant clothes of the 19th - early 20th centuries. A showcase has been installed where you can view photographs and study texts that tell about changes in Estonian culture, from the prehistoric era to the present day.
At the permanent exhibition “Estonia. Land, People, Culture”presents wax figures and genuine household items that recreate the people's life of peasants. Sections of the exhibition introduce visitors to the life of peasants on the farm, fishing, hunting, beekeeping. The Estonian runic calendar is also presented here.
In short, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu is a unique treasury of the cultural heritage of the Estonian people.
