Finland’s former Lenin Museum in Tampere undergone a complete transformation, reopening with a new name and focus that reflects the rapidly changing relations between Finland and Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to The Guardian.
The museum, now called Nootti – the Finnish word for “diplomatic note” – closed in November 2023 before reopening this month with an entirely new concept.
“During the last three years it turned out that it was not very good brand any more. People did not understand the role of the museum and the name became a burden,” museum director Kalle Kallio told The Guardian.
The institution first opened in 1946 as a symbol of post-war friendship between the nations. Tampere was chosen as its location because it was where Lenin and Stalin first met as young communist leaders.
The museum’s new focus spans the entire history of Finnish-Russian relations, from the collapse of the Russian empire in 1917 through Finland’s NATO membership in 2023. Exhibits cover Finnish independence, civil wars on both sides of the border, the fate of Soviet Finns during Stalin’s terror, Finland’s alliance with Hitler, the Cold War era, and bilateral trade and cultural relations.
Among the artifacts on display is a bicycle used by an asylum seeker to cross the border in 2023, according to The Guardian.
The museum transformation comes at a time when relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly. Finland joined NATO in 2023, and the 830-mile shared border was closed after Helsinki accused Moscow of conducting a “hybrid operation” involving asylum seekers.
Despite these tensions, Kallio said that the museum will maintain its relevance. “If we look at Finnish history and our key moments in history during the last 150 years, it’s impossible to understand them without understanding Russian history as well.”
“The relations between Finland and Russia are always going to be there. We don’t know what kind of relations they will be, but there will be relations and we are very certain that there will be new history coming all the time,” Kallio added.
The National Security Review prepared by Finland’s Security Police reported earlier this month that when the war in Ukraine ended, Russia would likely use the resources freed up there to exert influence in other regions, potentially even launching an attack on Finland. According to intelligence reports, Russia remains the greatest threat to Finland’s national security.
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