Marilin Mihkelson: Estonia's Cultural Heritage Cannot Wait for Better Times

The director of the National Heritage Board, Marilin Mihkelson, raises the question of where and how Estonia's collective memory is preserved. The issue of cultural heritage storage facilities may seem technical on the surface, but it is fundamentally a much deeper question.

The director of the National Heritage Board, Marilin Mihkelson, has raised a sharp question: where and how is what we consider Estonia's collective memory preserved? At first glance, the issue of cultural heritage storage facilities may seem like a purely technical problem — square metres, climate requirements, shelving systems, digitisation, and relocation plans. In reality, however, the question is much simpler and more uncomfortable.

According to Mihkelson, cultural heritage is not something that can be put on hold pending better times. When we delay preservation, what is lost is lost forever. Preserving memory requires action today, not tomorrow.

The question of cultural heritage storage facilities concerns physical objects, archival materials, and digital content alike. All of these require suitable conditions, adequate space, and a systematic approach — resources that are not always taken for granted. The message from the National Heritage Board's director conveys a clear call to both the state and society as a whole: the protection of cultural heritage is a shared responsibility that cannot be postponed.