Plan of Narva 2025 Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture unveiled
House of Ingria, the main organiser of Narva 2025, has unveiled the Capital of Culture programme. The focus of the events organised by Fenno-Ugria will also be on Narva this year: the Kindred Peoples’ Days conference ‘Ingrian – land, people and culture’ will take place at Narva Town Hall on 16 October, while the big event of the kindred peoples’ month, a Finno-Ugric music concert, will take place on 18 October in the Rugodiv Culture House. Fenno-Ugria will also organise its travelling exhibitions in various cultural institutions and schools in Ida-Viru County this season.
JANUARY
1 Jan-28 Feb Fenno-Ugria travelling exhibition ‘Waterfowl People’, Narva Estonian Gymnasium
18 Jan Culture Day at the House of Ingria. We will learn about the Votic and Izhorian folk festival Veerisse and perform rituals to expel the cold spirit.
FEBRUARY
1 Feb-31 Mar Fenno-Ugria travelling exhibition ‘One hundred years of the Ingrian Finns’ at Narva Central Library. The exhibition will be opened by linguist and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tartu Tõnu Seilenthal on 10 February at 11.25.
8 Feb Lecture on the mythology of Finno-Ugric peoples at Narva Central Library. Cultural evening at the House of Ingria: Narva – the capital of the Finno-Ugric world 2025 programme of events and history of the project.
13 Feb Popular science seminar ‘Narva is the capital of Ingria’ at Narva College, University of Tartu.
MARCH
1 Mar Opening event of the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025
1 Mar ‘Scripture in the languages of Finno-Ugric peoples’ at Narva Central Library. The exhibition will be opened on 17 February at 16.00 by Taisto-Kalevi Raudalainen, researcher of Finno-Ugric peoples and chairman of the board of the Estonian Academic Ingria Society, and Madis Tuuder, a Narva resident who has been on many Finno-Ugric expeditions. Musical interludes will be performed by Ekaterina Kuznetsova, the manager of the House of Ingria.
2 Mar Solemn concert-worship service in the Alexander Church in Narva
2 Mar Votic folk festival Cihlagoo and Izhorian Liugupäevä at the House of Ingria
10 Mar-30 Apr Exhibition ‘Written epics of Finno-Ugric peoples’ in Kohtla-Järve school. The exhibition will be opened on 11 March at 11.35-12.20 by Madis Arukask, folklorist, Associate Professor of Estonian and Comparative Folklore at the University of Tartu.
15 Mar Votic Culture Day at the House of Ingria
19 Mar Fenno-Ugria Kindred Club at Narva Town Hall at 17, historian Vallo Reimaa will talk about the Votes of Ida-Viru County.
22-23 Mar Festival of ethnofuturism ‘Milky Way’. Children’s drawing competition, exhibition, master classes and lectures.
29 Mar Izhorian Culture Day at the House of Ingria
APRIL
4 Apr Culture Day at the House of Ingria, Finno-Ugric language café.
5 Apr Art exhibition in the framework of the Finno-Ugric World Capital of Culture Year and ethnofuturistic festival ‘Milky Way’ in Jõhvi Concert Hall.
6 Apr Udmurt Culture Day at the House of Ingria
11-12 Apr Mikael Agricola or Finnish Language Day Conference at the Narva College of the University of Tartu
19 Apr Day of Ingrian and Finno-Ugric handicraft events at the House of Ingria
23 Apr St. George’s Day, Estonian national day
26 Apr Sports Day on the occasion of the Day of the Mari Hero in Narva
MAY
10 May Culture Day at the House of Ingria. Finno-Ugric music and dance training.
17 May Museum Night at Narva-Jõesuu Local Museum. Ingrian music and dance training.
30 May Culture night at the House of Ingria
31 May Uralic communal prayer dedicated to the Votic holiday ‘Birth of the Earth’ in Laagna Forest. Cultural festival ‘Birth of the Earth’ and Udmurt meeting ‘Kuarsur’ in Narva. Food and music of Finno-Ugric peoples.
JUNE
7 June Cultural evening at the House of Ingria. We will learn about the Votic and Izhorian folk festivals Troittsa and Jaanu.
13 June Opening of the Finno-Ugric sculpture ‘Lighthouse’ in the courtyard of Narva Fortress, language speaker, ‘open steps’.
21 June Day of Ingrian and Finno-Ugric handicraft events: handicraft workshops and cultural evening at the House of Ingria.
23 June Midsummer’s Day in Sillamäe Cultural Centre. Midsummer Eve in Narva-Jõesuu. Midsummer’s Eve bonfire in Jõhvi City Park.
24 June Estonian national holiday Jaanipäev and Ingrian national holiday Juhannus in Narva.
28 June Narva City Days and Viru-Ingrian Song Festival in Narva-Jõesuu
28-30 June ESTO 2025 in Narva
28-29 June Artists’ Day in Narva
JULY
5 Jul Cultural evening at the House of Ingria We will learn about the Votic and Izhorian national holidays ‘Ogru päivä’ and ‘Kupol´o’.
6-11 Jul Plant Week. Masterclasses on gathering medicinal herbs and making traditional Votic rosebay willowherb tea “Irvieinä”.
12 Jul – Traditional Votic feast Pädra in Iisaku Parish Museum. Workshops on food and music of Finno-Ugric peoples.
13 Jul Traditional Votic feast Pädra and Narova River Festival in Narva. Food and music workshops of Finno-Ugric peoples.
26 Jul Day of Ingrian and Finno-Ugric handicraft events: handicraft workshops and cultural evening at the House of Ingria.
AUGUST
2 Aug Cultural evening at the House of Ingria
24-25 Aug ‘International Forum’, theme ‘Finno-Ugric movement: a look to the future’ in Narva
30 Aug Night of the ancient fires in Narva-Jõesuu and Toila
SEPTEMBER
1 Sep-31 Oct Travelling exhibition ‘Natural sacred sites of the Uralic peoples’ in Jõhvi Central Library. The exhibition will be opened on 4 September at 17.30 by Ahto Kaasik, researcher of sacred sites and member of the board of the Hiite Maja Foundation.
6-7 Sep Maardu Ethno Fair
13 Sep Udmurt Culture Day at the House of Ingria
20-21 Sep Tallinn Ethno Fair
27 Sep Culture Night at the House of Ingria
OCTOBER
Beginning of October-end of December Exhibition ‘Forms of Force’ at Narva Art Centre NART
4 Oct Culture night at the House of Ingria
5 Oct Ingrian Day
11 Oct Culture day at the House of Ingria, Day of the Votic flag
16 Oct Fenno-Ugria’s Kindred Peoples’ Day conference ‘Ingria – land, people and culture’ on the traces of Ingrian and Finnish culture in Narva and Ida-Viru County at Narva Town Hall at 14-18.
18 Oct Fenno-Ugria’s Kindred Peoples’ Day folk music concert at Rugodiv Culture House
25 Oct Day of Ingrian and Finno-Ugric handicraft events at the House of Ingria
NOVEMBER
8 Nov Cultural day at the House of Ingria. We will learn about the Votic and Izhorian national holidays Jakoaika and Martipäivä.
22 Nov Finno-Ugric Handicraft Day: handicraft workshops dedicated to the Estonian national holidays Mardipäev and Kadripäev.
29 Nov Cultural Evening at the House of Ingria. Find out how Christmas was celebrated in Ingria and learn how to make the Ingrian ritual straw doll Olkosuutari.
DECEMBER
6 Dec St. Nicholas’ Day. Closing ceremony of the capital of the Finno-Ugric world.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Ekaterina Kuznetsova
Narva House of Ingria
ingerimaja@gmail.com
