Homepage Visit Exhibition house Exhibitions
Exhibitions
-
-
-
-
Treasures removed from the Estonian National Museum’s collections in 1940–1968
-
-
ESTONIA. Land, People, Culture
PERMANENT EXHIBITION
Everyday life The heart of the Estonian farmstead was the barn dwelling and the other outbuildings in the farmyard. Everyday life revolved around preparations for the winter and the efforts made to survive it.
In order to use the land, which was in the possession of lords of the manor, peasants had to provide days of unpaid labour (corvée days) for the manor, using their own tools and draught animals. The household tools and farm equipment on display dates mainly from the 19th century and is similar to much older implements.
Holidays and festivities Things and places have different meanings for people. Country folk and the land have always been closely connected. Estonians have always believed that some things or places possess more power than others. Some stones, trees and springs are considered to be holy. No work was done on certain days. Some patterns are more than ornamental—they possess a certain meaning and impact which is mainly related to festivities and weddings. Songs have always accompanied sacred rituals and expressed their meaning and content.
Regional peculiarities of Estonian folk culture “Each farm has its own brew,” as the saying goes, and each parish has its own clothes. Although Estonia is small by its territory, it is amazingly rich in the variations of folk art and especially folk costumes. By the features of its folk culture, Estonia can be divided into three regions—four if you go by the variations of its folk costumes. Side by side with Estonians, coastal Swedes and the Russian-speaking Old Believers in the Lake Peipsi region led their own peasant way of life.
"To be an Estonian... feels proud and good” – Estonians sang during the independence movement of the late 1980s and nightly song festivals on into our re-established statehood.
Due to interaction with neighboring countries as well as the Baltic-German urban communities and manors, Estonian country people were influenced by the outside world.
The national renaissan ce in the second half of the 19th century made Estonian nationalism and patriotism important, and during the 20th century it had to be proved over and over again.
Interiors and pictures through the 20th century—expectations and reality.
Back Home for a While
ESTONIA. Land, People, Culture
