The 307th anniversary of Kadriorg Palace and Park will be celebrated with a concert performance of Les Élémens: From Baroque Dance to the Rubble of Life
22 July marks the 307th anniversary of the founding of Kadriorg Palace and its park and the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Kadriorg Art Museum as a branch of the Art Museum of Estonia dedicated to foreign art. Since the Kadriorg Park Flower Garden is also celebrating the same anniversary, festive events dedicated to all of the anniversaries will take place both in the palace and in the park, offering guests a rich and diverse programme.
The anniversary celebrations will be crowned by a spectacular concert performance, Les Élémens: From Baroque Dance to the Rubble of Life. The author of the performance, which synthesises dance, music and the written word, is Ingmar Jõela. The performers are Maria Listra (soprano), Heldur Harry Põlda (tenor), the Utopia Entertainment dance troupe, the ME 107 chamber orchestra and the conductor Andrus Kallastu. The performance takes place on two evenings, 22 and 23 July, starting at 8 pm.
“Kadriorg Park, whose story dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, is a meeting place for art, beauty and nature. Its every birthday is a celebration to which our park gardeners contribute with their dedication and skills, creating the most beautiful compositions in the flower beds for the season and ensuring that the park hosts its guests in its best attire. This year’s summer celebration is also special because the Flower Garden located in the heart of the park is celebrating its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, a unique concert performance has been created to enrich the festivities of the entire park ensemble. You are invited to enjoy the beauty of life from the Baroque to the present day,” said Pille Sõstra, Head of the Kadriorg Park General Department, acting as Head of the Institution.
The Kadriorg Art Museum will celebrate its 25th anniversary with family-oriented activities and exhibitions looking back on its history.
“To celebrate its 25th anniversary on 22 July, the Kadriorg Art Museum will open several significant expansions to its permanent exhibition, because it is important for us to involve the widest possible audience and to communicate art to all people, regardless of their age, gender, nationality, and physical or mental abilities. The focus of the anniversary year’s innovations is on families with children, as well as all other child-like and playful art enthusiasts,” said Aleksandra Murre, the director of the Kadriorg Art Museum.
Among the artworks by old masters, playful activity stations will be located in the magnificent Kadriorg Palace, providing excitement and helping everybody better understand the works. A special audio guide, the texts of which were created by the writer Eia Uus, will lead visitors to the stations. The curious girl Kadri via an audio guide will lead listeners through the secrets of Kadriorg Palace and its works of art as the characters depicted come to life and tell their stories.
On the journey of discovery, you can stop and play, because a children’s activity room will be opened on the main floor of the museum. Its main attraction is a model of Kadriorg Palace. The activity room has plenty of games and creative activities, which will help make a visit to the museum exciting and memorable for every child. The children’s activity room and playful tasks have been created in collaboration with the museum’s educators and the artist Mae Kivilo. The grand opening of the child-friendly museum and the short performance Kadri and the Genius will take place in the main hall of the castle on 22 July at 4 pm.
The permanent exhibition of the Kadriorg Art Museum will be expanded with another thematic hall: to mark the anniversary, the Cabinet of Prints will be opened, and in it the exhibitions will change every four months. The first exhibition, Archaeology of Dreams, is dedicated to the etchings of the famous Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi and is a reminder of the first exhibition held at the Kadriorg Art Museum in 2001, which began the museum’s tradition of exploratory exhibitions that place its collection in a broader context. The exhibition commemorates a dear colleague, the curator Anu Allikvee (1960–2024).
The birthday celebrations will open with the traditional Castle Garden Games, which in the Year of the Estonian Book focus on the written word, more precisely fairy tales. Famous fairy tale characters will offer children and their parents playful tasks and fun crafting activities around Kadriorg Palace, at the Peter the Great House and at the Children’s Museum Miiamilla. The activity points will be open on 22 July from 1 pm to 4 pm, and the outdoor activities are free for everyone.
The flora, architecture and history of Kadriorg Park will be discussed during park tours, which will take place at 4 pm (in English), 5 pm and 6 pm. Groups will gather in front of the new information point-museum in Kadriorg Park (Weizenbergi 26/1).