Week 50: Maarjamäe Palace, Sagadi Forest, and Palmse Manor

🇪🇪 Estonian History Museum (Maarjamäe Palace)

To wrap up my Erasmus project, I visited the Estonian History Museum, spectacularly housed in the Maarjamäe Palace. This location offers a breathtaking vantage point for capturing a full panorama of Tallinn city! 📸✨

The history museum’s exhibitions are structured chronologically, starting right from the Estonian War of Independence.

• Timeline Highlights: I saw exhibits showcasing daily life, from traditional city homes to farm life, and the evolution of clothing from the Independence War era to local traditional wear.

Period/Theme	Description
Independence Era	Uniforms and daily life during the War of Independence.
Farm Life	Artifacts depicting rural Estonian life.
Traditional Clothing	Examples of local attire.

The Soviet time section featured some fascinating (and mysterious) artifacts, like these vases whose purpose I couldn’t quite decipher. 🤔

The modern section included powerful displays on local protests and political resistance. ✊

The courtyard outside is a poignant collection of Soviet-era sculptures. It was unsettling to learn that some of these were tragically stolen or melted down by locals for scrap money. 😔

---

📽️ Estonian Film Museum

Located near the History Museum, the Film Museum underscores cinema’s significant role in Estonian culture. It’s filled with remarkable film equipment and interactive displays. 🎬

• A look at various film devices and the magic of filmmaking.
• Getting a glimpse behind the scenes with the green screen setup for Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI).

---

🌳 Sagadi Forest Museum

As part of the Erasmus project, a visit to the Sagadi Forest Museum was essential, given that forests cover over 50% of Estonia! This museum beautifully illustrates the natural landscape and the traditional ways locals utilized the forest resources.

• The entrance features a charming restaurant, very nice black garlic ice cream. 🍽️
• Exhibits include specialized clothing for various forest-related trades:

Profession	Attire Displayed
Lumberjack	Rugged, practical work clothes 🪓
Beekeeper	Protective gear for honey collection 🐝

A captivating artwork combined a large-scale Extended Reality (XR) environment with Estonian folk sounds. It created a beautifully minimalistic and calming atmosphere—it genuinely reminded me of a MUJI store! (By the way, there’s an Estonian MUJI playlist.)

---

🖼️ Palmse Manor

Palmse Manor stands as one of the most magnificent baroque mansions in all of Estonia, a truly grand piece of architectural history! 👑

• The exterior is stunning, set against the Estonian landscape.
• The interiors, including the main hall, are richly decorated.
• We had a special treat when one of our group members performed a perfect piano concert in the museum—a beautiful moment! 🎹🎶

Inside the Manor:

• Living Room: Elegant and historically furnished.
• Reading Room: A quiet, scholarly retreat.
• Unique Details: A delicate bird cage and a impressive wine collection added to the manor’s charm. 🍷🐦