Estonians have packed their lives into suitcases and quietly carried Estonia with us to faraway places for many reasons — by choice, by necessity, by force and by curiosity. Now, a new exhibition in Tallinn transforms 150 years of those journeys into an experience visitors can walk through — and see themselves within.
On display at the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom until January 2028, the exhibition Estonia Worldwide (Ilmaküla eestlased) explores migration, memory and identity. It asks a deceptively simple question: what does it mean to be Estonian when your address is somewhere else?
Three waves
The exhibition is shaped around three broad movements. First, the 19th-century settlers and early independence-era communities who sought land, work and opportunity across the Russian Empire and beyond. Then, the darkest chapters — deportations, the Great Flight of 1944, exile communities preserving language and statehood while the homeland was occupied. And finally, the post-1991 generation: students, professionals, artists, families — leaving not because they must, but because they can.
Curators Martin Vaino and Ede Schank Tamkivi resist the temptation to tell a single heroic or tragic tale. Instead, they lean into complexity. Identity here is not boxed in by passport stamps or perfect grammar. Some contributors speak Estonian fluently. Others don’t. Some left in fear. Others left in curiosity. All are part of the picture.
Hyphenated identities
There are stories of families torn apart by deportations, of stormy crossings in fragile boats, of rebuilding life from almost nothing. But there are also deeply human artefacts — objects that survived the journey and quietly testify to love, habit and hope.
The section on contemporary migration, curated by anthropologist and filmmaker Terje Toomistu, adds another layer. Through filmed interviews, it captures a generation comfortable with hyphenated identities and multiple homes. One person misses Estonia while abroad — and misses abroad while in Estonia. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
As one of the curators has reflected publicly, diaspora communities show particularly clearly that identity is not monochrome. It is layered, negotiated and sometimes contradictory. In other words: very human.
Estonia, expanded
The exhibition also gently challenges the idea that migration is something exceptional or modern. Movement has always been part of Estonia’s story. What changes is the context — empire, war, open borders, love, study, work.
And then there is the quiet provocation: Estonia is not only a territory. It is also a network. A web of relationships, memories, rituals and recipes scattered across continents.
It feels fitting that this story is told at Vabamu, founded by Olga Kistler-Ritso — herself shaped by displacement and return. The museum’s walls already hold stories of occupation and freedom; now they also hold the story of Estonia beyond its borders.
Add your dot to the map
Perhaps the most delightful feature is the interactive world map, already filled with more than 200 personal stories. Visitors — including Estonians in Australia — are invited to submit a photo and a short reflection on their own version of “home away from home”.
Yes, that means your Melbourne kitchen table with rye bread. Your Brisbane folk dance group. Your Sydney choir rehearsals. Your Perth beach walk with a blue-black-white scarf tucked into your bag.
If you are heading to Tallinn in the coming years, make time for this exhibition. And if you are not, consider sending in your story anyway. Because the truth is, Estonia is not smaller for having a diaspora. It is larger, more textured and more visible — a country drawn not only in borders, but in people.
This is where you can see the exhibition
📍Location: Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom, Toompea 8b, 10142 Tallinn, Estonia.
🗓 Opening hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 am to 6.00 pm (closed Monday and Tuesday)
🎟 Tickets: €10–€30 (depending on ticket type and concessions)
Thank you
Thank you to Agnes Kaasik from Vabamu Museum for information and photos!
Read more
Vabamu exhibition “Estonia Worldwide” (in English)
“Estonia needs everyone who wants to belong”: New exhibition explores complex diaspora identities | ERR (in English)
Galerii: Vabamu uus näitus uurib väliseesti kogukondade lugu | Muuseumid | ERR (in Estonian)
Submit your story here (in Estonian or English)
