Lennart Meri’s “Hopeanvalkea” Transformed Into an Experience Exhibition
Text Timo Raussi Photo Estonian Maritime Museum
The Estonian Maritime Museum in Tallinn will open the exhibition “Hopeanvalkea”, also known as “Hõbevalge”, on 25 September, taking visitors along the routes of the ancient Greek explorer Pytheas from the Mediterranean to Saaremaa. The exhibition is based on a book of the same name by Lennart Meri, the first president of the Republic of Estonia, whose original publication celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Created in the large hall of the Seaplane Harbour, the experience exhibition combines history, myths, light and sound into an immersive whole, taking visitors from one space to another towards the story of the Kaali meteorite’s fall on the mysterious island of Ultima Thule. The exhibition features objects from museums around the Baltic Sea region and the private collection of the Lennart Meri family, meteorite fragments, as well as light and sound elements. In addition to Estonian collections, objects have been loaned from the University of Helsinki Museum, the Latvian National Museum and the Palanga Amber Museum in Lithuania, among others.
The exhibition’s sound designer is Janne Laine from Finland. Visitors receive headphones for their visit, through which the soundscape changes according to the wearer’s movements, pauses and choices. The result is an individual audio experience that is never repeated in exactly the same form.
Lennart Meri’s “Hõbevalge: Reisikiri tuulest ja muinasluulest” was published in Estonia in 1976. In the work, Meri explored the ancient history of Estonians and Finns in a multifaceted way, combining historical sources, linguistic observations, folklore and a little imagination. Eight years later, he expanded the book and corrected certain factual errors in an “updated” version titled “Hõbevalgem”.
A new Estonian-language edition of “Hõbevalge” will be published in connection with the exhibition. The anniversary will also be marked by a film freely dramatised from the contents of the book, directed by Martti Helde, who also serves as the exhibition’s curator and creative director. Filmed in Finland and Latvia this summer, the film will be released to audiences in early 2027. The exhibition at the Seaplane Harbour is open until 31 October 2027. More information about the museum, its exhibitions and admission tickets is available here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsEstonian Maritime Museum events Exhibition Hopeanvalkea Lennart Meri Seaplane Harbour Tallinn Ultima Thule
