Obinitsa Museum

It's a world where Seto cultural traditions, the challenges and beauty of being a woman, ancestral singing heritage and beautiful handicrafts come together. The museum features an exciting exhibition about the lives of Seto women a hundred years ago. The exhibition displays are illustrated with rare photos taken by Finnish researcher Armas Otto Väisänen a century ago, showing vividly and in great detail the life of Seto women back then. As traditional singing known as "leelo" has played an important role in the lives of Seto women and is listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, the exhibition also talks about the place of leelo in women's lives.

The power of Seto women can be felt throughout the whole museum. The walls are decorated with historical handicraft items, the prayer corner is framed with handwoven scarves and in the museum shop, you can purchase contemporary handicrafts and literature. Obinitsa Museum is also known for its museum programs, with the most popular being the "dressing up" program, in which a visitor is dressed in traditional Seto attire. It's a mix of language immersion, history of clothing and culture, and a total transformation that comes with wearing Seto traditional clothing. Surprise yourself and have an opportunity to experience how clothing can change a person and their essence.

The small, but cozy Obinitsa Museum also includes a tsässon (a Seto Orthodox chapel), that stands right next to it. This small building can easily be taken for a sauna or barn, but the modest cross on the roof tells us otherwise. When the Obinitsa Museum is open, the chapel doors are also open. In the summertime, the exhibition extends to the museum courtyard with outdoor displays.