The Svalbard exhibition will be opened at the University of Tartu Natural History Museum

Photo: Tormi Tuuling
Published 16.02.2022

The travelling exhibition ‘Memories of Estonian Research in the Svalbard’ will be opened at the University of Tartu Natural History Museum on 22 February, in cooperation with the Estonian Maritime Museum and the Polar Club.

The exhibition ‘Memories of Estonian Research in the Svalbard’ offers exciting discoveries. In order to compile the exhibition, the expeditions of Estonian scientists to Svalbard were thoroughly studied – the first expeditions were undertaken as soon as in the 1970s. This exhibition supported the application of Estonia to become an observer member of the Arctic Council. The exhibition includes photographic recordings and written memoirs of Estonian researchers related to the expeditions and the exhibition in Tartu also includes objects collected during the expeditions.

‘The area of Svalbard is about a third larger than Estonia and there are more polar bears than people. For several decades now, scientists from our country have been contributing to this research,’ said Katrin Savomägi, curator of the exhibition and CEO of the Polar Club. ‘I am glad that in cooperation with the University of Tartu Natural History Museum, the travelling exhibition will undergo an exciting development. The exhibition in Tartu will also include objects from the collections of both museums, such as polar signs, rocks, fossils, taxidermied animals, and plants on herbarium sheets, as well as the personal belongings of the researchers,’ added Savomägi.

The exhibition was put together by Krislin Kämärä, Katrin Savomägi, and Kairi Põldsaar. The travelling exhibition on which it is based will arrive in Tartu from Tallinn. The exhibition was first opened to the public in the capital, in the Fat Margaret artillery tower of the Estonian Maritime Museum last April. From there, the exhibition travelled to Hiiumaa to the Sõru Museum and then to the Riigikogu.

The exhibition is open from 22 February to 30 June in the green gallery of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum next to the classrooms. Admission to the exhibition is free. When visiting the museum, please follow the safety rules.

Further information:
University of Tartu Natural History Museum
phone +372 737 6076
loodusmuuseum@ut.ee
www.natmuseum.ut.ee