Symbols of National Identity
Location: 3rd floor, B-wing
The exhibition in Wing B on the third floor of Kumu offers a chance to explore the works of major figures in Estonian art history, such as Ants Laikmaa, Johann Köler, Eduard Wiiralt, and others.
In addition, visitors can view the video projection Genius Loci (10′ 45″), which takes the viewer along a subtly perceived timeline through Estonia’s historical and cultural landscape. The author of the projection follows the chronological framework of the Estonian art classics exhibition: beginning in 1710, when Tallinn surrendered to the troops of Peter I, and culminating in the Soviet army’s entry into Tallinn in 1944. This journey is marked by the military and political violence that shaped the fate of Estonians, the centuries-long opposition between farm and manor, the rise of national consciousness in the 19th century, and efforts in culture and education.
Although the story unfolds without verbal explanation, a multitude of events emerges in the background of each frame: illustrations from a 1705 Bible translation manuscript refer to the first complete Bible in Estonian and the development of the written language; in the middle of the film, a peasant named Hans Kentmann appears in front of a threshing barn carrying a bundle of twigs — he was beaten in Tallinn for participating in the Mahtra War. The viewer learns that at the end of the 19th century, boys and girls were taught separately at the Peningi parish school and may be surprised to see the Russian imperial couple, an elderly manor lady, and a spinning wheel all fitting into a single image. Attentive viewers can spot significant cultural figures as well as key turning points in Estonian history — the War of Independence, the arrival of Soviet troops in 1939, the events of the June coup in 1940, and the chaos of the Second World War. The final scenes of the projection serve as a bridge to the period covered on the next exhibition floor.
