In Estonia, cultural heritage is organised by the Ministry of Culture, the National Heritage Board, rural municipality and city governments, and research institutions.
The main functions of the National Heritage Board are the organisation of heritage conservation work, state supervision of monuments and heritage conservation areas, implementation and development of museum policy, maintenance of the National Register of Cultural Monuments and the information system of museums, examination of applications for the export of cultural goods, and the issuance of certificates of competency. The Board has an office in all counties. In Tallinn, Tartu, and Narva, city governments perform heritage conservation tasks.
There are more than 26,000 cultural monuments under national protection in Estonia, including:
- nearly 600 historic natural sacred sites;
- over 13,000 art monuments (the majority of art monuments are church property, but there are also works of fine art by Estonian artists, etc.);
- nearly 7,000 archaeological sites;
- more than 5,000 architectural monuments (buildings, bridges, manor parks, etc.);
- more than 1,000 historical monuments (sites related to important people or historical events, War of Independence memorials, cemeteries, etc.);
- 35 technological monuments;
- more than 120 underwater monuments.
For more information on heritage and museum policy, see the website of the Ministry of Culture. More information on the National Heritage Board can be found on its website.
According to Statistics Estonia, there were 157 museums in Estonia in 2023. The Ministry of Culture is responsible for 4 state museums and 16 foundations. In addition to the Ministry of Culture, museums are also under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Climate, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture. Estonian museums are home to nearly 7 million objects.
Information System of Estonian Museums (MUIS)
MuIS is an online environment for keeping track of museum collections, managing them, and making information in museums available to professionals and anyone interested. About 60 museums have joined MuIS and a description of nearly 4 million museum objects has been entered into the system.
National Register of Cultural Monuments
The database of the National Register of Cultural Monuments provides free information on all monuments under state protection in Estonia (condition, photos, descriptions, references to archival materials, etc.). It is possible to search for monuments by type, name, registry number, address, or cadastral unit. The register also provides overviews of basic research in the field (inventory of the twentieth-century architectural heritage, database of rural architectural heritage, wreck register, etc.).
Coordination of projects and action plans
All work on monuments and heritage conservation areas (except repairs) must be coordinated with the National Heritage Board. Larger projects (e.g. complete renovation of the building, building redevelopment projects, roofing projects if the constructions or roofing material changes) must be coordinated with the National Heritage Board. Smaller projects can also be done on the basis of an action plan (replacement of roofing with the same material, building of chimneys, restoration of details, etc.). Projects and works on monuments and heritage conservation areas may only be carried out by qualified persons whose list is publicly available on the National Register of Cultural Monuments. The project documentation requirements must be complied with when preparing and submitting projects.
Issue of certificates of competence
The Board also issues certificates of competence which authorise the preparation of projects for the conservation and restoration of monuments, the supervision of heritage conservation, the conservation and restoration of monuments, and research that changes the monument. In addition, the Board issues permits for the use of search devices, for diving to underwater monuments, and for the intra-Community transport and export of cultural goods.
Applying for state budget grants
The owner or possessor of the monument may apply for a grant electronically through the National Register of Cultural Monuments for the maintenance of the monument, including the installation of security and alarm systems, as well as for the conservation, restoration, or establishment of optimal conservation conditions for the monument.
The owner or possessor of a building monument returned through ownership reform may also apply through the National Heritage Board from the Ownership Reform Reserve Fund for a grant for the maintenance, repair, conservation, and restoration of the monument.
The grant for the preservation of farm architecture, created to support the preservation of the traditional rural architecture of Estonia and the uniqueness of the countryside, can also be applied for through the National Heritage Board. In order to receive this grant, the farmhouse must be a residential building, i.e. a detached house built before 1940 that was part of a historic farm complex.
The funding of the activities of museums is based on the Regulation of the Minister of Culture ‘The conditions and procedure for applying for operating grants from the state budget for museums, the assessment of applicants, and the awarding of grants’. Museums under public law, municipal museums, and private museums can apply for operating grants through the National Heritage Board, while museums of state foundations can apply for operating grants through the ministry that holds the founding rights of the foundation.
Through the call for applications ‘Museum Accelerator’ of the National Heritage Board, museums can apply for project funding to make rapid leaps in the development of activities and services for the public that would be economically self-sustaining once launched.
Intra-Community transport of cultural objects
Authorisation for the intra-Community transport of cultural objects is required if the objects are cultural objects in accordance with the nomenclature of the Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Objects Act.
Authorisation is also required for the export from the European Union of items recognised as cultural objects under the Council of Europe Regulation.
More information on applying for the authorisation of intra-Community transport of cultural objects can be found on the website of the Board.
Archive
The archive of the National Heritage Board on the second floor at 2 Pikk Street in Tallinn contains documents on the protection, management, research, conservation, restoration, and reconstruction of cultural monuments, including construction projects, historical certificates, studies, special conditions, work drawings, etc. The archives database is also available in the National Archives database AIS.
Heritage conservation information from the rural municipality or city government
In Tallinn (Heritage Conservation Department of the Urban Planning Department), Tartu (Cultural Objects Service of the City Government), and Narva, the city government performs national heritage conservation tasks. This means that the coordination of projects, the granting of permits for the commencement of work, and counselling on matters relating to monuments take place first at the relevant local government. Any questions can be addressed directly to the National Heritage Board, if necessary.
Heritage Council
The Heritage Council acts as an advisory body at the Ministry of Culture. It makes proposals and gives opinions on all issues arising from the Heritage Conservation Act. The positions of the Council serve as an indicative basis for the planning of heritage conservation work and the development of heritage conservation principles by the National Heritage Board and local governments. The Council submits its positions and minutes in writing to the Minister of Culture and the National Heritage Board.
Museum Council
The Museum Council is an advisory body to the Minister of Culture, which makes proposals and gives opinions on matters arising from the Museums Act.
Estonian annual museum awards
The National Heritage Board, in cooperation with the Estonian Museum Association, grants the Estonian annual museum awards. The aim of the competition is to recognise the best museum professionals and to raise public awareness of the different aspects of museum work. The winner of each Museum Rat category will receive a cash prize from the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, which can be used for professional development.
Voluntary activities in the field of cultural heritage
The Estonian Heritage Society (EMS) operates as a voluntary national non-party non-profit association whose main function is to value cultural heritage, involve all those interested in heritage conservation, and, through the use of monuments, to enhance the sense of home and citizenship among the people. EMS unites more than 50 societies, clubs, or associations dedicated to the voluntary research and protection of historical and cultural heritage throughout the country, with over a thousand active members.
The know-how on historic buildings is provided by the Information Centres for Sustainable Renovation (in Tallinn and Tartu), which provide both professional information and materials/tools for the reparation and renovation of historic buildings.
The non-profit association Estonian Museum Association is in charge of valuing, developing, and maintaining the profession of a museum worker. As at the end of 2023, the Association has approximately 380 members. The Association organises trainings and seminars, the Museum Night, publishes the online magazine Muuseum, and maintains the muuseum.ee website, which gathers information on the museum field. The Museum Association is the founder of the Museum Card Foundation.
References
Laws
- Heritage Conservation Act
- Intra-Community Transport, Export and Import of Cultural Objects Act
- Council of Europe Regulation on the export of cultural goods