Virukeskus
Foodhall
On Saturday, January 18, communities of various nations living in Estonia celebrated the year of cultural richness with grand festivities at Viru Keskus in the heart of Tallinn. The thematic year that began last year was dedicated to all Estonians, highlighting the common cultural richness arising from the differences and similarities among cultures.
Guests gathered at Viru Keskus from all over Estonia were welcomed by Culture Minister Heidy Purga, who had declared the year of cultural richness open a year prior.
“I hope that the essence of cultural richness has become familiar and meaningful to many people across Estonia over the course of this year. The thematic year allowed us to highlight the collection of creative activities and customs that have been created over centuries and continue to be developed by our people and communities, for whom Estonia is home. This is our shared cultural richness,” said Culture Minister Heidy Purga.
The gala for cultural richness, like the entire year of cultural richness, was organized by the Integration Foundation in collaboration with organizations uniting communities, such as the Estonian Folk Culture Center, the Union of Estonian Nations, the Lüüra Association of National Cultures, and many others.
“It is heartening that different communities are increasingly taking the initiative to work together. By joining forces, more can be achieved. Such collaboration strengthens Estonia as a whole and each community individually. Long live culturally rich Estonia!” said Dmitri Moskovtsev, director of the Integration Foundation, addressing the gala attendees.
The Cultural Richness Gala provided unique experiences, attended by hundreds of people. Guests enjoyed a memorable concert featuring performances that highlighted Estonia’s cultural wealth by artists such as Alika Milova, Ant Nurhan, Uku Suviste, Ruslan and Rute Trochynskyi, Reet Linna, Peeter Vähi, and many other stars from the Estonian music scene. The concert concluded with a communal sing-along, where all the musicians on stage joined in.
Guests also had the opportunity to participate in a fashion show showcasing the traditional clothing of nations living in Estonia and to witness the signing of a cooperation agreement between organizations promoting national cultures. After the formal part of the gala, all participants had the chance to learn dances from various nations.
Moreover, the impacts of the Year of Cultural Richness were discussed as authoritative cultural policy influencers summarized a quarter-century of thematic year practices and heritage on the presentation stage of the Rahva Raamat store at Viru Keskus. The discussion was moderated by Erle Loonurm (ERR), with panelists including Siim Sukles, Tarvi Sits, Eda Silberg, and Karen Jagodin.
Following the panel, a book presentation took place right there, with researchers from the Estonian Literary Museum—Mare Kõiva, Nikolai Anisimov, Nikolai Kuznetsov, and Sergey Troitskiy—introducing books developed from their work, taking readers into the world of ancestors and providing valuable reading for future generations. Among the books presented was a unique collection titled “Literary Café of the Finno-Ugric Peoples: New Translations” and a special edition of the magazine “Mäetagused” dedicated to the Udmurts.
As at any good celebration, guests did not go hungry, thanks to the restaurants on Viru Food Street, which highlighted various national dishes on their menus just for this occasion. The Moroccan ethnic group presented their rich tradition of tea ceremonies. Throughout the day, different ethnic group performers showcased their cultural heritage on the Viru Food Street stage with pride.
Photoes by Integration Foundation, Kristi Sits, Egert Kamenik, Andras Kralla.
