Exploring Memory, Heritage, and Tradition through the Museum Exhibition "Ingrians – The Forgotten Finns"

Abstract

This article explores notions of memory, heritage, and tradition and their respective domains vis-à-vis a reading of the museum exhibition Ingrians – The Forgotten Finns held at the National Museum of Finland in 2020. Ingrian Finns are a Finnish-speaking historical minority of Russia and the Soviet Union. This article's contributions are threefold. First, it produces new knowledge on contemporary memory culture surrounding Ingrian Finns' history, thus opening perspectives on memory issues relating to minority groups in general. Second, it provides knowledge on contemporary phenomena related to past presencing as both localised and globalized processes. Third, it provides knowledge on the ideologies and epistemologies associated with past presencing, and it promotes a dialog between research fields that center around on concepts of memory, heritage, and tradition.