Culture Backpacks funding of €52 per student

The Estonian Museum Association believes every school student in Estonia should have the opportunity during the academic year to visit institutions representing five major areas of culture as part of the curriculum: a theater, museum, art exhibition, concert and cinema. A child's access to culture should not depend on where they live, their family's financial means or their school's ability to cover transportation and ticket costs.

To achieve this goal, the Museum Association says funding for the Culture Backpacks program should be increased to €52 per student. The measure would require a total annual budget of €9.5 million, of which €7.1 million would be allocated to basic school students and €2.4 million to students at the upper secondary education level.

Museum workers' pay and minimum salary in culture hikes

The association believes that without competitive salaries, museums cannot retain the expertise they need or ensure the next generation of museum professionals. The issue of pay is not only about employees' livelihoods, but directly affects museums' ability to fulfill their public responsibilities.

"The national minimum salary for cultural workers must be maintained and reach at least 90 percent of Estonia's average salary. At the same time, museums' payroll budgets must be increased sufficiently to bring the average salary of museum employees to at least the national average. Compensation for employees in leadership roles must reflect their additional responsibilities and duties."

Heritage repositories as a national investment

Estonian museums hold approximately 7.1 million museum objects, 4.6 million of which are owned by the state. Only a small proportion of the collections are on public display, while 96 percent of museum objects are kept in storage. Approximately two-thirds are currently stored in conditions that do not ensure their long-term preservation. Due to a lack of space, several museums have had to limit or suspend additions to their collections.

The Estonian Museum Association is therefore asking the government to include the Northern and Southern Estonia heritage repositories in its investment plan.

The Northern Estonia heritage repository, together with the Kanut Conservation Center, would have a planned area of 14,700 square meters and an estimated cost of €55 million.

The Southern Estonia heritage repository, which would involve renovating and expanding the Estonian National Museum's storage facilities at Raadi, would have a planned area of 7,200 square meters and an estimated cost of €27.4 million.

The Museum Association emphasizes that the heritage repositories are not investments in convenience for museums, but essential infrastructure needed for the state to fulfill one of its core responsibilities. Delaying their construction increases both the risk of damage to cultural heritage and future costs.

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