Finno-Ugric Voices

On view at the Estonian National Museum Gallery from 29 October 2027 to 23 April 2028

Opening in October 2027, the exhibition Finno-Ugric Voices explores the lives of Finno-Ugric people in Estonia, focusing on those who do not identify solely, or at all, as Estonian. Who are the Finno-Ugric people living in Estonia? And what does heritage mean for them in their lives today?

People have come to live in Estonia at different times and for different reasons, whether by choice, through forced resettlement, or as a result of shifting political borders. Through personal stories and experiences, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the worlds of people whose languages are related to Estonian. It explores how origins, family memories, language, culture, and social and political circumstances intertwine in their lives. What memories, tastes, objects, and stories connect different generations and places? How do young people born and raised in Estonia make sense of their roots? Does ethnic identity matter to an individual, and if so, how? Can the shared term “Finno-Ugric” bring together people and communities with different histories and experiences, and in what ways?

Video narratives, photographs, personal belongings, and objects from the museum’s collections bring together a diversity of voices and perspectives. Rather than presenting the Finno-Ugric world in Estonia as a single, unified whole, the exhibition reveals it through a multitude of lived experiences, choices, and forms of belonging.