Euregio Karelia: Museum Hypertext

1. Euregio Karelia: Museum Hypertext Karelia ENPI CBC Program 2007-2013 Priority Cultural Cooperation Contract No 2012-04-KA426, signed on 11.01.2013 Duration: 24 months (12.01.2013 – 31.12.2014)

2. Partners Lead Partner:Creative Industries and Cultural Tourism Development Fund Partners: Republic of Karelia, Russia: • Ministry of culture of the Republic of Karelia (Petrozavodsk) • Center of cultural initiatives (Petrozavodsk) • National Museum of the Republic of Karelia (Petrozavodsk) • Regional museum of Northern Priladozhye (Sortavala) • Medvezhjegorsk regional museum (Medvezhjegorsk) • Cultural museum center (Kostomuksha) North Karelia, Finland: • North Karelian Museum/City of Joensuu (Joensuu) • Karelia Expert Tourist Service Ltd (Joensuu) • Fighter´s House/Hattumaan Elamys Oy (Hattuvaara) Associates: Outokumpu Mining Museum (Outokumpu), Museum of Pielinen (Lieksa), Ilomantsi Museum Foundation (Ilomantsi)

3. Idea of the project: Increase the general awareness of the Euregio Karelia region as a special area on the cultural map of Europe with its historical and cultural specific character by Involving museums and communities into the process of economic, social and cultural development of the Euregio Karelia region. Upgrading the museums in the Euregio Karelia region using new concept-based approaches, methods and technologies that provide consumers with expanded possibilities for a more efficient exploration of the local cultural heritage.

4. Main activities “Opening Karelia” workshop 20-22.03.2013, 50 participants, in Petrozavodsk The tasks of the workshop are: • To establish professional partnership between participating museums; • To develop a general vision of the Euregio Karelia region for further description and presentation to various social groups; • To create a model of the museum sphere in the Euregio Karelia region as an information environment based on hypertext principles; • To introduce the museum hypertext as a new approach to creating a modern exhibition; • To develop a basic scenario of a board (floor- and wall-mounted) game “Opening Karelia” to be integrated into the museums’ environment.

5. Main activities Experts’ sessions in participating museums6 sessions (2 days and 25 participants per session)in Petrozavodsk, Medvezhjegorsk, Sortavala, Kostomuksha, Joensuu, Hattuvaara, Lieksa, Outokumpu, Ilomantsi The goal: ELABORATING (or updating) the basic, common and special points of the development concepts for each participating museum DEVELOPING : 1.Three new theme sections built on hypertext principles in the present exhibitions in the museums in Sortavala, Kostomuksha and Medvezhyegorsk; 2. Hypertext markup elements and readers for the key exhibition sections and exhibits in participating museums.

6. Main activities Developing a museum information system • Producing a terms of reference for creating an open museum information system of the Euregio Karelia region; • Designing software and style solutions; • Creating software for the system; • Installation: beta-testing, training system administrators; • Documents preparation (guidelines, manuals, etc.) Creating content for the museum • Data collecting and processing, writing and translating texts into English, Finnish and Russian languages; • Creating content for the generated QR codes for the exhibitions in participating museums; • Digitalizing photo and video materials; Creating audio tours; • Creating a series of additional multimedia materials for participating museums, including a web based virtual tour in exhibition for the North Karelian Museum and the Sortavala Town History web based virtual tour; • Putting the basic information into the system.

7. Main activities Competition “Museum Hypertext of Karelia. Modules, Junctions, Links” • The goal: • to create designs for new theme sections in museums in Sortavala, Kostomuksha and Medvezhyegorsk; • to create design projects for the whole system of hypertext markup elements and navigation interfaces of the museum environment • Based on the competition results an exhibition “How to Show the Museum Hypertext” will be held in Petrozavodsk.

8. Main activities Russian-Finnish symposium “Horizons of the Euregio Karelia region. Museums 3.0.” 6-7.02.2014, 50 participants, in Joensuu The goals of the symposium are: • To introduce the development concepts of the Russian and Finnish participating museums; • To create a model of the museum field in the Euregio Karelia region as an information environment based on hypertext principles; • To develop key points of a new marketing strategy for museums in the Euregio Karelia region.

9. Main activities Photo and multimedia exhibition "Destination – Karelia” • 10-day journey by Jaakko Heikkilä (www.studioblue.fi) and Anastasia Khoroshilova (www.khoroshilova.net) • It will be displayed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Joensuu and Petrozavodsk.

10. Main activities Renovation and technical equipment of participating museums, including engineering design Minor renovations in three museums in Sortavala, Kostomuksha and Medvezhjegorsk; renovation of Palovaara memorials; Partial placemaking of the fortified region area in Medvezhjegorsk; Creating new information signs for the fortified region area in Medvezhyegorsk and for outdoor exhibitions, points of interest and war history objects of the Fighter´s House, the Fighter’s Path and Palovaara Memorial; Purchase and installation of equipment.

11. Main activities Creating new or re-designing present exhibition sections A permanent exhibition “Stone in History, History in Stone”(Sortavala) A new version of the section devoted to the history of the local iron ore deposit“The Birth Place” (Kostomuksha) A new version of the exhibition devoted to the White Sea – Baltic Sea Canal and the military defenses of the Finnish Army in 1942-1944. (Medvezhjegorsk) New play infrastructure - adventure game entitled “Opening Karelia” (working title) Besides, the museums will be supplied with: Systems of hypertext markup for the museums’ exhibition space; System of introductory hypernavigation centers with modern computer and multimedia equipment and hypercommunications junctions integrated into present exhibitions; Printed QR codes, hypertext markup elements in exhibitions and public spaces in the participating museums; New audio- and visual materials (in Finnish, Russian and English)

12. Main activities Professional development of the museums’ staff Training seminar on creating content for museum exhibitions and for the open museum information system; Educational seminar “Museum marketing. New reality”; Consulting seminar “Museum pedagogy 3.0.”

13. Main activities Information promotion of museum products and services of the Euregio Karelia region • Designing a line of promo and souvenir products • Designing and releasing joint promotion products in three languages for the participating museums: • Brochure that contains information on operational principals of the museum information system of the Euregio Karelia region and potential theme routes in the designated region for the tourists information centers; • Brochure on new theme museum tourist routes in the Euregio Karelia region; • A series of publications on objects and exhibitions of the participating museums; • Brochure about a legendary Finnish soldier Lauri Törni;

14. Main activities A visit tour to participating museums 5 days, 30 participants, Sortavala – Joensuu, Ilomantsi – Lieksa - Outokumpu – Kostomuksha – Medvezhyegorsk – Petrozavodsk. The final “around-the-museums” trip will be organized to present the project’s results on-site and to discuss further cooperation. A press conference will be also organized in Petrozavodsk as a closing event.

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!