CONGRESS VENUE

The Estonian National Museum was founded in Tartu in 1909 on the initiative and with the support of the nation – with the task to protect and develop the history and culture of Estonia. As in many other European countries, primary importance was attached to preserving the old, fading peasant culture. Also considered essential was gathering and looking after artefacts contributing to better understanding of cultural development, archaeological findings, old coins, books, manuscripts and historical records.

Today, Estonian National Museum preserves the feeling of continuity and tradition. The museum is the generator and developer of cultural dialogue which links the past and the future. ENM`s role as a centre of ethnological research is to record, study and interpret culture as a way of life, taking into account its periodical, spatial and social diversity. The Museum's function as a contemporary cultural and tourist centre is to show our culture`s uniqueness and primeval power of creation to every Estonian and visitor.

Estonian National Museum is  located in the Tartu, in Raadi area, in 2 kilometers distance of the city centre.

The Estonian National Museum (ERM) new building was opened in October 2016, designed by the Paris-based architecture firm, DGT Architects. 

The museum has 6000 square metres of exhibition space. Most of the exhibition space is dedicated to the permanent exhibition Encounters, expanding upon Estonian cultural history and everyday life and stretching out on a timeline from the present day to the Ice Age. 
The second biggest permanent exhibition is Echo of the Urals, providing insight into the lives of the different people speaking Finno-Ugric languages and inhabiting the northern parts of this corner of the world. The exhibition takes visitors through four different seasons, introducing people related to Estonians.