Kalamaja Museum new exhibition ‘Journey to the Land of the Green Sun. The Story of a Family from Kalamaja‘

The new exhibition at the Kalamaja Museum is the result of a collaboration with a local family, as is the tradition for a community museum. Piret Tali, Kalamaja resident and journalist, shares the story of her family. Although the exhibition’s narrative is rooted in Kalamaja, the journeys it traces reach far beyond the neighbourhood. Piret Tali reflects that, in many ways, her family’s story is also a story about the impact of occupation on people and families. At its heart lies a question that resonates even when viewing the Estonian experience from a distance: how do you uncover the foundations among the ruins on which to rebuild your life time and again? It is a story that feels strikingly relevant in today’s troubled world.

The exhibition ‘Journey to the Land of the Green Sun. The Story of a Family from Kalamaja‘ The new exhibition opening at the Kalamaja Museum at the end of September is the result of a collaboration with a local family, as is the tradition for a community museum. Piret Tali, Kalamaja resident and journalist, shares the story of her family. Although the exhibition’s narrative is rooted in Kalamaja, the journeys it traces reach far beyond the neighbourhood. Piret Tali reflects that, in many ways, her family’s story is also a story about the impact of occupation on people and families. At its heart lies a question that resonates even when viewing the Estonian experience from a distance: how do you uncover the foundations among the ruins on which to rebuild your life time and again? It is a story that feels strikingly relevant in today’s troubled world.

‘Journey to the Land of the Green Sun. The Story of a Family from Kalamaja‘ is named after a children’s book by Irma Truupõll, the first edition of which was published in 1936. The book is about two dolls, Malle and Peedu, whose owner Mari has grown up and after many long adventures, they find their way back to her. Their journey – striving through hardship towards the fairytale Land of the Green Sun, which embodies goodness – is also the exhibition’s central motif and guiding thread, running through the entire display.

The author of the exhibition, Piret Tali, has previously published books on Kalamaja, ‘My Kalamaja: Unfit to be a Hipster’ and ‘A Pioneer from Patriot Street: School Stories from the Soviet Stagnation’. Born in 1972, Piret was an October Child and a Pioneer, yet much of her childhood was shaped by influences from a different era thanks to her mother.

“I feel like I was raised to remember things. My memory feels like a loaded gun, a memory bank, where time and people I have never seen endure. I believe that now is the right time to share our family’s story, which might give hope to many. It’s full of dreams that have come true; perhaps not right away, but at least they have not gone unfulfilled. It could be seen as a story of hope – that we will find our way, as long as we remain true to who we are.”

The exhibition offers a rich display of stories and precious mementos that reflect both the era and the family’s experiences – items that have been carefully preserved despite the twists and turns of history. The stories speak both deeply and directly, evoking memories in the nostalgic objects we all have tucked away in our cupboards and prompting visitors to explore their own family histories.

‘Journey to the Land of the Green Sun. The Story of a Family from Kalamaja‘ opens on 25 September 2025, coinciding with the Kalamaja Museum’s fourth anniversary, and will remain open until 6 September 2026. The public programme includes guided tours of both the exhibition and the surrounding urban space, and – in true Kalamaja Museum fashion – exciting encounters with the neighbourhood’s history and the people connected to it.

Exhibition curator and author of the idea: Piret Tali

Exhibition designer: Jaanika Jüris and Merike Tamm

Editor: Klaire Kolmann

Author of the poster painting: Kaie Kal