Seaplane Harbour
12.05.2025 – 11.01.2026
After ninety years of sailing, a grand celebration is only fitting!
The Maritime Museum Foundation was established by sailors who wished to collect and document their lives and adventures as seafarers. However, as not all sea dogs were skilled writers, they chose instead to create a museum.
According to information published in the newspaper Esmaspäev, the idea was inspired by historically valuable objects discovered during an audit of the Port Factory’s warehouses. In Päevaleht, the need for a museum was explained by the desire to preserve materials related to seafaring. The future museum’s exhibition was intended to provide an overview of the development of seafaring in Estonia.
As a result of several years of collecting, an exhibition was opened in the spacious second floor of a warehouse adapted for the Estonian Maritime Museum at the Port of Tallinn. At the heart of the display were models, paintings, photographs, and numerous maritime artefacts. Much of that exhibit has been preserved to this day and now enables us to tell the story of the museum’s early years in a vibrant harbour setting.
The Estonian Maritime Museum collects, researches and interprets our maritime history. The anniversary exhibition Beginning looks back at the years 1935-1940 when the museum was born. The establishment of the Estonian Maritime Museum 90 years ago coincided with a wave of maritime museums being founded across Europe. For example, the world’s largest maritime museum – the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich – was founded just two years later.
EXHIBITION TEAM
Curators: Urmas Dresen, Mihkel Karu
Preparation of exhibition items: Ruth Ristmägi, Andres Eero, Alo Ervin, Laura Jamsja, Oksana Leontjeva, Meeli-Heli Lepna, Eve Paavel, Evelyn Silmet
Installation of exhibition items: Villu Plink
Glazing and framing of paintings: Joon Stuudio OÜ
Language editing: Hille Saluäär
English translation: Toimetaja tõlkebüroo
Technical solutions: Helina Torv, Valter Vaht, Tõnis Veltman
Museum education: Helene Uppin, Kristel Bultot, Carmen Kõrvek
Digital guide solutions: Kadi Karine
Public procurement coordination: Maie Tooming
Exhibition marketing project manager: Iris Tomson
Exhibition project manager: Anna-Liisa Õispuu
Velvet team – artistic design and execution of the exhibition
Exhibition concept and design, 3D models, maquette prototype, marketing materials concept: Keijo Kraus (Velvet)
Content and creative texts: Gunnar Hunt (KAGU_the_agency)
Exhibition construction and production: Andres Ojasu (Trage OÜ)
Marketing materials, printed materials, support: Andrus Lember (Velvet), Magnus Haravee (Velvet)
Maquette and its miniature elements creator: Joanna Juhkam (Loome Luup OÜ)
and project manager: Kristo Pajus (Velvet)
Archival materials: SA Eesti Meremuuseum, Rahvusarhiiv
Music digitizer: Valdo Praust
Special thanks to: Eesti Meremuuseumi kolleegid, Kaur Järve, Mihkel Sild, Rando Saar
Sponsor: Eesti Kultuurkapital