The archives are a treasure trove of Estonian folk tradition of music and poetry for folk musicians who rely on the institution for writing their new material.
This issue came into focus as Ministry of Education and Research failed to release new funding for the institution. Competition against scientific research organisations is felt as they are allowed to ask for additional funding while the Folklore Archives do not have the same leeway. The shrinking budget has led to the fear that in a few years, the figure will only stand at 40 percent of the original budget.
“Estonians have a belief in their language, culture, tradition, which is at the basis of this culture, and in that sense, I believe that any kind of way to cut back on this significantly won’t mean anything good for the future,” Risto Järv, Head of the Estonian Folklore Archives, said.
To find out more about the folk musicians’ movement to save the Archives, log on to ERR.