Estonian National Museum is located in Tartu. It was established in 1909 and is dedicated to the memory of famous ethnographer, famous collector of folklore Jakob Hurt. Initially, the activities of the museum, who bore the name of the scientist, was aimed at the preservation of its rich collection. But a collection of very fast-paced and acquired such proportions that the museum was renamed simply Estonian.

Initially, Estonian Museum housed in several rooms that have been provided by the City of Tartu. After a while Estonia becomes independent, and consequently, the museum staff have the right to count on the fact that the new government will give them due attention. Indeed, in early 1922, the museum moved to the Raadi Manor, which used to be the property of a wealthy family Liphard.

After placing the museum in the noble estate there was a lot of criticism from, in particular, the Estonians as a museum exposition, was mainly devoted to peasant culture and building Lipharda more like a museum with an artistic focus. This mismatch causes a lot of criticism in the society. But there was nothing, because the museum did not have sufficient funds for the construction of its own premises. After World War II Raadi was completely destroyed.

The former court building was home to the Estonian museum, but there was no permanent exhibition. In the 1980s, the idea of ​​the restoration of the museum in the manor Raadi, but nothing came of it. For many years the museum was in limbo.

In 1993, the Estonian National Museum has experienced a rebirth. In his own former club moved railroad. A year later, the building was fully restored. It opened a permanent exhibition "Estonia. Land, People, Culture ". A commission was established, tasked to find a decent place for the long-awaited new museum building. Earth chose a hill near Toome. It was organized a design competition in which young architects won T.Tuhal and R.Luse. Estonian parliament decided to begin construction in 2002.

Estonian National Museum is not only an art but also a scientific meeting. The museum's collections, attracting and Western anthropologists, are the basis for employment ethnology at Tartu University. When you create a fund of the museum workers are paying special attention to the ancient monuments of Estonian history, as well as exhibits, telling about life of the common people.

Ethnographers, directly facing the real threat of erosion, and even the complete disappearance of the ancient peasant culture, put the main task of the museum: to preserve all that is connected with the history of culture. Namely preserve archaeological finds - tools made of stone, iron, bronze, ancient manuscripts, coins, books.

The museum has an extensive library that covers almost everything that was published in Estonia, a collection of objects of art, as well as a huge photo archive.

The museum tells the history and culture not only of the Estonian people, and Finno-Ugric peoples, in particular the Baltic group.

The permanent exhibition tells the story of everyday life as well as the feasts of Estonian peasants. Multiple conference given by the exposure of the peasant dress of XIX - early XX centuries. Installed showcase, where you can see pictures and learn the lyrics, which tell about the changes of the Estonian culture from prehistory to the present day.

At the permanent exhibition "Estonia. Land, People, Culture "represented the wax figures and authentic objects of everyday life, recreating the popular life of the peasants. Sections of the exhibition acquaint visitors with the life of the peasants on a farm, fishing, hunting, beekeeping. Presented here and Estonian runic calendar.

In short, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu is a unique treasure of the cultural heritage of the Estonian people.