The Estonian National Museum brings exhibition on Finno-Ugric hunting traditions to Finland

The Estonian National Museum (ENM) has opened an exhibition titled “The Peoples of the Northern Forests” at the Finnish Hunting Museum in Riihimäki, Finland. Opening on May 19, the exhibition explores the hunting traditions of Finno-Ugric peoples, their forest-centered worldview, and the relationship between humans and nature through the ENM’s collections, research, and exhibition practices.

“For the Estonian National Museum, this exhibition is an important step both in strengthening international cooperation and in sharing our work on Finno-Ugric heritage. In collaboration with the Finnish Hunting Museum, the knowledge preserved in the ENM’s collections and research is placed in a new context and gains the opportunity to speak within a broader cultural space,” said Laura Kipper, Director of the Estonian National Museum.

Northern peoples

“The Peoples of the Northern Forests” is conceptually linked to the ENM’s permanent exhibition “Echo of the Urals”, exploring the same cultural space through the lens of the forest, hunting, and an ecological worldview. In the Finno-Ugric world, humans do not rise above the natural environment but perceive themselves as part of it. This idea is further explored in folklorist Oskar Loorits’s portrayal of the Finno-Ugric peoples as children of the northern forests.

The concept of the exhibition stems from the observation that hunting has been a traditional means of livelihood and part of the traditional way of life for many communities, yet today it is also a topic that sparks conflicting opinions. This relates to regulations on the use of nature, ethical principles, and green thinking, as well as to the interpretation of hunting as a hobby, tourism, and cultural heritage.

“This travelling exhibition explores hunting as part of the cultural world of the indigenous peoples of the North, viewing it simultaneously as a means of survival, a way of experiencing nature, a communal practice, and a reflection of identity. Visitors step into the exhibition hall as if entering a forest, where objects, photos, films, and archival materials reveal the intertwined relationship between humans, nature, and beliefs, and connect this heritage to contemporary issues of nature conservation and ecological responsibility,” said exhibition curator and researcher at the Estonian National Museum, Svetlana Karm.

Exhibition

The exhibition is curated by Svetlana Karm and Piret Koosa of the Estonian National Museum, with Art Leete of the University of Tartu serving as a consultant, the design firm KOSMOS handling the layout, and Kristjan Raba as producer. The exhibition is produced in collaboration with the Finnish Hunting Museum. The exhibition is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

The Estonian National Museum’s exhibition “Peoples of the Northern Forests”
is on view at the Finnish Hunting Museum in Riihimäki, Finland, from 19 May 2026 to 28 February 2027.