A total of four events took place on December 7-8, organised by the ICOMOS Estonia Committee in cooperation with the Valga Museum. ICOMOS is a UNESCO expert organisation, whose English name stands for the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
The first event in the series took place at Valga Railway Station, where the Estonian Academy of Arts UNESCO Chair opened the exhibition Estonian Heritage on the World Map. The exhibition was introduced to a surprisingly large audience by Riin Alatalu, holder of the EAA UNESCO Chair and Vice President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites. This display at Valga Railway Station will remain open until the end of January, 2026. Thus, December 7th was also designated as Sunday with Heritage.
After the exhibition opening, participants set off on a walking tour led by architectural historian Oliver Orro, exploring Valga’s architectural sights from the railway station to St. John’s Church. The tour admired historic wooden architecture both near the railway and in the city center. Oliver Orro’s expert commentary gave many participants a new perspective on their hometown.
The group then proceeded to Valga Museum, where a discussion circle was held to reflect on what had been seen and heard, and to debate topics related to the city’s history and heritage.
The workday of December 8th was also very busy. A seminar titled Heritage Preservation in Local Government was held, targeting especially small towns. Presenters included Kadri Kallast (Ministry of Culture), Jaanika Saar (Elva municipal architect, head of development and planning department), and Kalev Härk (Mayor of Valga 2011–2017). A discussion followed, featuring Urmas Möldre (head of Valga municipal construction and planning service), Jiri Tintera (Tartu city architect, Valga city and municipal architect 2013–2023), Kristi Kangilaski (Viljandi city artist and cultural heritage specialist), and Jaanika Saar (Elva municipal architect, head of development and planning department). The topic was the Charter for the Sustainability of Cultural Heritage Buildings and the implementation of ICOMOS spatial quality principles in the work of local governments, followed by a summary session.
A video overview in Estonian is available here.
