Abja-Paluoja 2021

2021
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Key facts

  • Locaton: Mulgimaa region, Estonia
  • Map location
  • Population size: 976
  • Finno-Ugric languages:Mulgi, Estonian

The year of Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture placed the Mulgi people and Mulgimaa – the Mulgi region – firmly on the Finno-Ugric map, raising visibility of Mulgi cultural heritage and language both in Estonia and internationally. The organizing team delivered an impressive cultural programme despite numerous restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Inspired by the cultural capital year, Mulgi community submitted a key element of Mulgi culinary heritage – the Mulgi puder – to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which led to an inscription in December 2024.

Programme highlights

  • The Opening Ceremony on 13 February was moved outdoors into freezing temperatures due to new Covid-19 restrictions. Still, the event became a true celebration of Mulgi people and Finno-Ugric cooperation, with a Finno-Ugric procession across Abja-Paluoja, traditional music and dances, and greetings by two presidents of Estonia: incumbent president Kersti Kaljulaid and former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
  • For the first time ever, Mulgi people were represented by their own delegation at the VIII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, held in Tartu on 16-18 June. For the duration of the congress, Mulgi delegation symbolically handed the title of the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture to the city of Tartu.
  • Flagship event of the cultural capital year was the VI Mulgi Festival, entitled “Mia ja sia ütenkuun”  (“Me and You Together”) held in Karksi Manor Park. The traditional Mulgi festival had a distinct Finno-Ugric focus – the Finno-Ugric tent included crafts workshops and lectures about Finno-Ugric peoples, and representatives of many kindred Finno-Ugric peoples joined the festive procession.
  • Finno-Ugric themed products: Mulgi Pruulikoda (Mulgi Brewery) developed for the cultural capital year a special Finno-Ugric themed craft beer “Hõimlane” (Kindred people”), which is produced to this day.
  • Organizers of the cultural capital year prioritised the engagement of youth, in order for them to learn more about kindred Finno-Ugric peoples. This led to a Finno-Ugric youth film project in cooperation with the Tarvastu High School and the Tõrva Open Youth Centre, led by the Hungarian filmmaker and Finno-Ugric activist Edina Czüllog. As part of the project, a short film featuring Finno-Ugric themes was made based on the ideas and creativity of the young people.
  • The cultural capital year ended with the XIII Mulgi Conference, with the special theme “Mulgimaa in the world – world in Mulgimaa”. Conference speakers included Mulgi entrepreneurs, cultural leaders and politicians who discussed how the Mulgi region could be even more visible and successful in the wider world. At the end of the conference, Tsirk-bird, the symbol of Finno-Ugric Capitals of Culture, was handed over to members of the Udmurt community in Estonia, before the Tsirk embarked on a trip to the Udmurt village Bayterek – Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2022.

Outcomes

  • Visibility-raising: The cultural capital year brought Mulgimaa region, Mulgi language and cultural heritage into focus both domestically in Estonia and also in the wider Finno-Ugric world. The Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture year led to wide coverage about Mulgi culture, language and cuisine in Estonian media, partly thanks to Abja-Paluoja’s excellent communication team.
  • Community-building: Events of the cultural capital year created more opportunities for members of the Mulgi community to get together, discuss common opportunities and challenges, as a result becoming more supportive towards each other.   
  • Day of Finno-Ugric Pop-Up Cafes: The year of the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture gave birth to a new annual tradition – the Day of Finno-Ugric Pop-up Cafes, held in early September on the central square of Abja-Paluoja. In addition to presenting ethnic cuisines of kindred peoples, the event includes musical performances, crafts workshops and more.
  • Mulgi cultural heritage in UNESCO:  The cultural capital year inspired the Mulgi community to pay closer attention to its own cultural heritage, which led to the idea to nominate some part of Mulgi culture to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. After a series of community meetings, it was decided that the most unifying, and also among the best-known element of Mulgi intangible cultural heritage is Mulgi puder – traditional mashed potato with barley. In December 2024, Mulgi puder was inscribed by UNESCO, marking a major milestone for the preservation and development of Mulgi cultural heritage.

“The Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture year inspired the Mulgi people to work together, took Mulgi culture to UNESCO and created something that will endure!”

Ave Grenberg
Project manager, Abja-Paluoja 2021

Maaleht 31.01.2021 „Abja-Paluoja will soon become the cultural capital of 25 million Finno-Ugrians https://bit.ly/2MY5j5v  [in Estonian] 

Õhtuleht, 13.02.2021 „GALLERY | This year’s Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture is Abja-Paluoja“ https://bit.ly/2Nx5dlc [in Estonian]

Sakala 13.02.2021 „Estonian presidents expressed concern in Abja-Paluoja about kindred peoples” https://bit.ly/2ZfRnGA [in Estonian]

Delfi 13.02.2021 „PHOTOS | “Small Abja-Paluoja became this year’s Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture” https://bit.ly/2ZcQePY [in Estonian]

ERR News „Abja-Paluoja became the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture for a year” https://bit.ly/3pt9WBM [in Estonian]

Sakala, 16.06.2021 “Mulgi people went to the Finno-Ugric World Congress”  https://bit.ly/3zYWrQT [in Estonian]

Sakala, 17.06.2021 “GALLERY: Mulgi people visited the Finno-Ugric World Congress” https://bit.ly/3xXrvOX [in Estonian]

ERR Aktuaalne Kaamera 31.07.2021: “Mulgi Festival brought together approximately 1000 performers and just as many audience members” https://bit.ly/3g79Q10 [in Estonian]

Sakala 24.11.2021 “Mulgimaa will hand over the title of Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture to Udmurtia” https://bit.ly/32uwcFD [in Estonian]

Sakala 26.11.2021 “The cultural capital year that took place under challenging circumstances will be wrapped up” https://bit.ly/3DXF3xk [in Estonian]

Ave Grenberg:

ave.grenberg@gmail.com

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