Former Lenin museum re-opens to explore Finnish-Russian relations

The former Lenin Museum in Tampere, once a key venue for diplomatic meetings between Finnish and Russian leaders, reopened as a rebranded center focused on Finnish-Russian relations.

Kalle Kallio, Museum director said  "The aim of the museum is to help people to understand Finnish history because Finnish history is very much tied to Russian history. We separate ourselves from the Russian Empire in 1917. We had the Civil war, which was basically the same civil wars in as in Russia. Then our relations with our eastern neighbour, they were very important for our economy. When the relations were bad, our economy suffered. When they were good, we had very prosperous times."

The museum, now known as Nootti, occupies the building where Lenin and Stalin first met during a secret Bolshevik gathering in 1905, marking a significant moment in both countries' shared past. Established after World War II, the museum became an essential venue for diplomacy during the Cold War, with the Finnish government hosting Soviet leaders to engage in discussions on Lenin's legacy and his role in Finland's history.