Gallery: Pärnu show traces fate of Finnish islands ceded to Soviet rule
A new exhibition at the Pärnu Museum of New Art (MONA) explores Suursaari and other Finnish islands ceded to the Soviet Union after the Winter War through photos and memories.
"Lost Islands" features photographs and archival footage by Finnish photographer Juha Metso, documenting the Gulf of Finland islands' landscapes, present-day residents and traces of their Finnish past.
Between 1999 and 2019, Metso visited Suursaari (Gogland) seven times and the smaller nearby islands of Tytarsaari (Bolshoi Tyuters), Lavansaari (Moshchny) and Seiskari (Seskar) once.
Before the wars, Finnish archipelago culture flourished on the islands, where locals made their living from the sea and traded with Estonians.
Suursaari was also a popular summer destination, attracting thousands of visitors to its community of around 1,000 people, including artists and writers.
The islands' civilian populations were evacuated shortly before the Winter War. The evacuation became permanent when Finland lost the islands to the Soviet Union.
Inspiration, memories
The "Lost Islands" exhibition at MONA combines Metso's photographs of Suursaari with video interviews with former island residents and archival material from Finland and Estonia. It also features works by Estonian artists inspired by Suursaari.
Together, they tell the dramatic story of the islands themselves, as well as the longing for somewhere that can no longer be visited, as the islands remain under Russian rule.
"Lost Islands" will remain open at MONA through January 10.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Aili Vahtla
