Minister Multala urges preservation of museum sites amid impending closures in Finland

Finnish Minister of Education and Culture, Sari Multala, aims to keep the closures of museum sites by the National Museum of Finland to a minimum. In her communications with Yle, she identified the Seurasaari Museum in Helsinki as an example of a site worth maintaining.

Multala mentioned she has made additional proposals related to the government’s supplementary budget. The National Museum announced on Thursday that it would close at least four museum sites next summer due to organizational negotiations. The closures include Seurasaari, as well as Hvitträsk in Kirkkonummi, Louhisaaren Manor in Askainen, and the Imperial Fishing Lodge in Langinkoski, Kotka.

According to the National Museum, the sites were selected based on financial reasons. Multala expressed her opinion that especially those sites generating ticket revenue should not be closed. She stated, “I find it extremely regrettable that the National Museum is resorting to closing its sites as a result of these negotiations.”

The organizational negotiations stem from an aim to achieve savings targets, a decrease in funding, and several years of financial losses. In the government’s budget negotiations, it was decided that the National Museum would face cuts of €872,000 in 2025. Multala pointed out that closing the museum sites would only save about €300,000, a small fraction of the overall negotiation context.

Regarding the expansion of the National Museum, which has been closed for renovations, Multala noted that it may remain closed longer than anticipated due to a lack of funding. The museum’s leadership expects an annual budget increase of around €1 million following the expansion. Multala assured that comprehensive funding for the renovation and expansion has been secured, and an additional €800,000 was allocated for new exhibitions in the previous supplementary budget. She believes the expansion will ultimately generate more income despite the current financial pressures.