Finnish museum culture is broad and diverse. It ranges from natural history museums to modern art museums, from a traditional village to a military history museum. Each of them hides a unique story, not only through objects and art, but also about people and their role in society. This blog post focuses on unravelling the story of one, perhaps slightly surprising, Finnish museum: The Kievar Museum.
The Kievarimuseum is idyllically situated on a small hill. At first glance, it may not seem large or eye-catching, but it has deep roots in Finnish history. The idea behind the Kievarimuseum is to showcase traditional Finnish culture from the 19th century through the activities of the Kievarimuseum. The stables were an important part of transport links, where travellers could rest and change horses.
The museum's courtyard is like stepping into a time machine. The fence buildings, horse stables and farmyard animals create a feeling of going back more than a hundred years. The museum offers an interactive way of experiencing life in the era, such as trying out traditional haymaking techniques or tasting traditional coffee.
So the museum offers its visitors not only a historical experience, but also a feeling - a feeling that time is not really as linear as we often think. It is intertwined, curved and mirrored in these places that bring the past to life.
You could say that each Finnish museum is like a miniature of a part of our country's culture and history. They are windows into the past that help us to better understand where we have come from and what it means for the present. The Kievarimuseo is one of these windows, telling a quietly wavering story of travel, work and everyday life in 19th century Finland.
In summary, Finland has a diverse and vibrant museum culture, offering many different ways to explore the country's thousands of years of history. Both large national museums and small local museums have their own unique stories that are worth preserving for future generations.
After each museum visit, you can think about the story you want to leave behind. What kind of museums will our time leave for future generations? Could each of us be part of the story that is being created today and tomorrow?