NORDI SK MUSEOLO G I 1996•2, S . 1 3 1 - 138
LENIN IS DEAD, HIS MUSEUM IS FINNISH THE L ENIN MUSEUM IN TAMPERE
Aimo Minkkinen
In 1995 there was a disastrous earthquake in Saha/in which destroyed the town of Neftekamsk totally. Only Lenin's statue was saved and it now stands on even ground. Symbolic? When Finland became independent in December 1917, its civil war was won by the Whites aided by German troops. Lenin sFinnish connections were no longer officially remembered. The situation changed completely after the Second World W'tu: The Lenin Museum in Tampere was founded on January 20th, 1946 by the Friendship Society ofFinland and the Soviet Union (now called The Finland-Russia Society}.
It was the people of the city of Tampere bitions devoted to particular periods in who originally took the initiative in esta Lenin's life. His childhood is remembered blishing the Lenin Museum. As early as in Ulyanovsk, in his home town, and his the 1920s the students in the workers' last years in the village of Gorky, near institute discovered they were studying in Moscow, where he died in 1924. the very Workers' Hall where Lenin had The collapse of socialist countries has pledged to a delegation of townspeople his made the Tampere Lenin Museum a curi willingness to further the cause Finnish osity. The Lenin Museum has now expan independence. ded its task to cover an entire historical Now it is the world's last Lenin Museum. period: the era of Soviet socialism. The To be accurate, we must say «the world's museum has undertaken to preserve, exhi last museum of Lenin's entire life's work». bit and research the objects, documents All Lenin Museums as such in Russia and and symbols of the Soviet era. other former socialist countries have closed The Finnish journalist Simopekka Virk their doors, last among them being the kula writes about the Lenin Museum: «A Central Lenin Museum in Moscow, in Canadian couple are fascinated. Eyes shi November 1993. All that remains are exhi- ning, they display the finds they have - - - o npHsHaHix ae~ano~Moc?,"a _IHWHACl
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The decree ofth e Soviet government ofthe independence ofFinland signed by V !. Lenin in December 1917. TH E L EN I N MU SEUM I N TAMP E RE
made in the museum shop; among their land, signed by Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and 133 gifts are a handful of Red Army badges. I other members of the first soviet Council myself have lingered over the bookshelves. of People's Commissars on December 31 , Where else could one still find books like 1917, was not a decision imposed on B. Ponomaryov's Marxism-Leninism, A Lenin, but rather a logical application of living and Effective Creed?» the national policy Lenin had adopted. Last year people from 68 different coun; This policy was based on the idea of a tries all over the world passed through its nation's right to self-determination, thus doors. Many travellers are impressed to it was logical that the Finnish people hear that the Museum is housed in the should themselves have the right to decide Workers ' Hall where the Russian Social their own fate . Lenin said of the indepen Democratic Party held two secret confc;ren dence of Finland: «It is impossible not to ces in the years 1905 and 1906 which acknowledge that which already exists. Lenin attended and chaired. It was in this The very fact itself demands its own very room that Lenin and Stalin met each recognition.» other for the first time during the 1905 Documents containing Lenin's writings conference in Tampere. in the Lenin Museum reveal that Lenin Stalin had heard of Lenin, and because of held Finland and the Finnish people in very the size of his reputation imagined he would high esteem and thought that Finland was be a tall man. But when he saw Lenin he one of the most highly developed democra was disappointed because he was not so tall. cies in existence at that time. He had come Although few records of the conference to rely on Finnish support in the struggle remain, it is known that the Bolsheviks were against the Tsar, the common enemy. given free of charge the use of the rooms, Indeed, Lenin spent the better part of which at the time housed Finland's first two years in Finland following the collap workers' college, and that they held a further se of the 1905 Revolution. This common session in the following year. enemy, the Tsarist regime, had a unifying In 1906 Lenin pledged to the workers of influence among the Finnish fighters for Tampere that after the revolution succee national freedom as it had among Russian ded in Russia his party would honour the revolutionaries. Lenin had several times nation's right to self-determination. In hidden from his enemies in Finland and accordance with this principle Finland Tampere, and later he employed several would be granted independence, should Finns as bodyguards, highly valuing their the Finnish people so desire. This pledge trustworthiness. He had many Finnish fri was made in the same hall which is today ends and was considered to be a general the Lenin Museum. friend of Finland. Lenin used Finland fre One of the most intriguing exhibits of quently in his writings as an example of the Lenin Museum is a copy of a the national question. More than 340 of December 1917 document of the Soviet Lenin's speeches, articles and other docu government, which granted Finland inde ments concerning Finland and the Finns pendence from the Tsarist empire. The can be studied in the Lenin Museum. recognition of the independence of Fin- Between 1905 and 1907 Lenin partici- AIMO MINKKINEN
134
Nikita Crushev and Andre Gromyko in the Lenin Mweum, Tampere 12. 6.1957.
pated in several party conferences of THE MEANING OF Russian revolutionaries in Finland. Forced THE LENIN MUSEUM into hiding by the Provisional Govern ment of Russia, Lenin returned to Finland Speaking on the occasion of the museum's for a couple of months before the October 50th anniversary on January 20th 1996, Revolution in 1917 and spent much of Claes Andersson, the Finnish Minister of the time writing «The State and the Culture, paid tribute to its historical mea Revolution». Lenin's literary activity was, ning. The passing of the Soviet era into however, interrupted. It was «disturbed» history has only served to augment the by a political crisis in Russia, the wave of importance of Finland's Lenin Museum as the October Revolution. Lenin was only a commemoration of that time. The Lenin too glad to be disturbed in such a way: Museum has an important duty to record, «More pleasant and useful than writing investigate and express through special about revolution is making revolution.» exhibitions, documents and objects the The desk at which he worked during that world of ideas as well as the world of sym stay, other furniture from the Helsinki flat bols of Lenin's era. The importance of where Lenin lived and even his walking that work is emphasized by the fact that stick occupy a corner of one room in the elsewhere Lenin museums have been clo Lenin Museum. sed and that their collections are in great TH E L EN I N M USE U M I N T AM P E R E
danger of being destroyed. The Minister policy which, after losing the war, Finland 135 of Culture mentioned that the opening of adopted in the new political situation. At Russian archives and files has offered new first the visitors to the Lenin Museum opportunities for improving the exhibi were mainly Soviet tourists. «Time went tions in the museum. by and the world changed. The USSR col The chairman of the Lenin Museum's lapsed and the Soviet tourists vanished. board, Professor Olli Vehvilainen of the But the interest m the Lenin Museum University of Tampere, pointed out that increased». the founding of the museum in 1946 was The director of the Tampere city closely connected with the new foreign museums, Toimi Jaatinen, noted that in
Exhibition «Cult Lenin» 1990. AIMO MI NKK I NEN
136 many museums like the Lenin Museum Finns' efforts to disengage themselves from which concentrate on one person, visitors the grips of the Tsarist power.» (Soviet find a unique, even spiritual way to get Union - magazine 1/1970). close to a person whom they revere. A pla President Mauno Koivisto said that he ce where you can imagine being on the still holds the opinion he put forward in very spot where he or she stood decades or 1981 about the meaning of Lenin's natio centuries ago, is extremely exciting. Often nal politics to Finland. «The victory of even the most modest of the original Leninist national politics opened the road objects are more important than any other to Finnish independence. On the other parts of the exhibition. Herein lies the hand the efforts of the Finns to defend unbelievable power of the museum. their autonomy and later independence Herein also lies the unbelievable power of partly supported the revolutionary move the Lenin Museum. It is THE PLACE. ment, for example by giving Lenin and Every city, every country needs places the other Bolsheviks shelter and other where history can be touched in this way. help.» (Mauno Koivisto. Two periods I. The Lenin Museum tells about the life Recollections and notes 1982-1994, p.26). of a person who had a great effect on world history and especially on the history THE FUTURE OF of an independent Finland. Thus at the THE LENIN MUSEUM same time it tells us about a world history which once touched Finland and Tam Predicting the future in traditional ways pere. Of course, different people and dif has become even more difficult than befo ferent decades will appreciate the museum re. Rapid changes in society have increased in different ways. For some the museum is the importance of museums. People want the Lenin Museum, for others a museum to have solid ground under their feet. They of an ideology, for yet others a sort of want to understand what is happening museum of museums where the fact that a around them. The museums can help them Lenin Museum exists in general is even understand historical processes. more interesting. The extensive changes in society in The special meaning of the Lenin recent years have also meant a total Museum for Finnish people lies in the fact change in the environment of the Lenin that the history of Finland's independen Museum. It can be seen in the re-orienta ce is so closely associated with Lenin's tion of the museum, the new strategic political actions. In the actual locale of the visions, new ways of working, new kinds present museum Lenin promised to take of exhibitions and information policies, action for the rights of the Finnish people for example www-sites on the Internet in 1906. He was very consistent in kee (http://www. tampere.fi/culture/lenin/ leni ping his promise. President Urho Kek nal.htm). People are looking for explana konen alluded to this event in 1970: «The tions for the changes in social life. In prin declaration of Finland's independence ciple, it is natural to bring Lenin up again that Lenin gave was a logical consequence in times of radical change in society. of Lenin's positive attitude towards the Bertrand Russel mentioned, after meeting Ti11ta111arresq11e in the Lenin Museum 1996.
Lenin in 1920, that this century will be the environment. Fortunately, the Finnish the century of Lenin and Einstein. attitude towards museums is rather tole Many old attitudes, ideas and shared rant, but museums can always work better experiences are also vitally influenced by to further tolerance, for example by organi the new points of view and developments. zing various exhibitions and conferences. The museum can give people material and The discussion about the Lenin Museum ideas for forming their own attitudes has shown that a museum is a refuge for towards the changes in the world. Even history. During revolutions, wars and basic wrong answers from the past can teach changes in society history and its artefacts people today. The museum serves as a are in danger of destruction. In such cir bridge between history and the present, cumstances museums must work actively between yesterday and today. The under and uncompromisingly. The Lenin Muse standing of history helps us to understand um has practical experience in this respect. the present and the chances of the future. One crucial question is the relationship In this context, the demand for informa between museums and the ruling political tion is clearly visible in the Lenin Museum. power. «The times they are a' changing», and A museum which does not change and these times are full of surprises. The gro live, is a cemetery of artefacts. It is dead. wing popularity of the Lenin Museum may We can cross conventional boundaries in also be a surprise. Behind this lies a very many different ways - by opening the active effort on the part of the museum to museum for churches, beer drinking find ways of interacting with changes in clubs, businessmen. The possibilities ope- AI M O MINKKIN EN
138 ned up by social change can be utilized, trait with an exaggerated, conical quiff, the for example, to improve traditional ways group's logo, adorns everything from young of working and thinking, to find new people's T-shirts to beercan labels. points of view regarding ordinary condi At the Lenin Museum a special exhibi tions and events. A museum can be linked tion is now being shown: «Soviet design - to schools, theatres, the opera, libraries, the home museum of Rosa Liksom». A funfairs, universities, circuses, congresses, famous Finnish writer Rosa Liksom says archives, TV, radio and newspapers. It can about her collection that she bought her create a network of cultural institutions first Soviet things in 1972 in Murmansk. which can co-operate. And nowadays it is It happened on her first trip abroad when even easier by the Internet. A museum can she became very interested in the Soviet collect and show a variety of items from Union. She had in her house two cabinets photos to movies, from stamps to posters, filled with Soviet objects. Later she had to from pins to locomotives. Feedback from buy more cabinets to house them, and visitors encourages a creative attitude soon her home was so full of Soviet things towards the future of the museum. that she could not even live there herself. The revolution in information technolo She rented a small flat in Helsinki and gy has brought the telephone and fax moved her Soviet souvenirs there. which have become important tools in Afterwards she donated the collection to museum work. In the near future compu the Lenin Museum. ters, multimedia, the Internet and other She was especially interested in the inno information nets will become more cent style and the ugly · beauty of the important. The museum will help people objects. In the shops in the Soviet Union to understand the change from things to tin soldiers or tooth paste could be found phenomena. Hundreds of people are alrea next to food. The colours of toys and pac dy visiting the Internet sites of the Lenin kets were very strange and she was attrac Museum, our virtual museum. ted by that. Many packets of matches and The journalist Simopekka Virkkula has tea were influenced by the beauty of con written how one undoubtedly experiences structivism. a certain sense of maturity sitting in the Now those items belong to the museum. shade of Lenin's head. Lenin and his ideas They have vanished even from Russian can be understood in the context of their everyday life. The western-style market time, the time of industrialism, workers' economy has destroyed those things. One movements, socialist and communist ideo can marvel at them only in the Lenin logies. And they can also be made into a Museum in Tampere, Finland. certain carnival, appropriated with cheer ful nostalgia. Humanity can leave the past with a smile. One can laugh at one's old Aimo M inkkinen, Ph.D. Director of the Lenin suits and ideas. The Finnish rock band the Museum Leningrad Cowboys has succeeded in this Adr. Hiimeenpuisto 28, FIN-33200, Finland particularly well. Nowadays the band has Fax +358-032146765 its own museum in Helsinki. A Lenin por-