Photo: Raigo Pajula/Vabariigi Presidendi Kantselei

President Alar Karis opened the renewed mitten exhibition at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Wednesday, 21. jan 2026

On the 18th of November

On 18 November, in cooperation with the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Estonian National Museum opened the renewed travelling exhibition on mittens titled “With Covered Hands”. The Estonian National Museum’s Director, Laura Kipper, also travelled to Kazakhstan as part of the presidential delegation.

"Hand in Glove" presents an overview of a small selection of the mittens preserved in the collections of the Estonian National Museum and the stories connected to them. The mittens displayed in the exhibition are replicas of museum artefacts, knitted by students and alumni of the University of Tartu's Viljandi Culture Academy. The mittens held in museums show that over time both knitting techniques and mitten fashion have changed. Because mittens are in constant use, the skill of mitten knitting has endured to the present day.

“To knit a pair of mittens, approximately 10,000 stitches are required. In the same way, through continuous cooperation we also create a cultural fabric on which we rely. Co-creation makes it possible to form a bond that connects us on the deepest level and offers support. We thank the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their trust and cooperation in bringing this exhibition to life. We hope that the ideas born through conversations will find their time and place and soon add a new pattern layer to our shared cultural fabric,” said Laura Kipper, Director of the Estonian National Museum.