Workshops

With additional cost, prior registration required.

Plastics – diversity and degradation

Venue: Estonian National Museum

Address: Muuseumi tee 2, Tartu

 May 25th (2 hours: 9.30–11.30)

 Little do we know, but we use more than 40 different plastics daily. The reason for this diversity comes from the opportunity for giving every type of plastic its own special characteristics. Some are meant for heavy-duty use, some are elastic, and others need to be transparent. In this workshop, we will, through example, explore objects which are the most common everyday plastics and how they degrade. Could some aging plastics be dangerous?

 Brief insight into the world of analysis of cultural heritage objects

Venue: University of Tartu, Institute of Chemistry – Chemicum

Address: Ravila Street 14A, Tartu

May 25th (2 hours: 15.00–17.00)

Participants will be given a brief overview of the everyday work of chemists. They will gain insight into the different analytical methods and equipment that can be used for the investigation of cultural heritage objects, what kind of information they provide, and how it can help in the interpretation of heritage. They will be given the opportunity to see (and try out for themselves) how and with what apparatus such research is carried out.

 Holistic approach to preserve maps and parchments

Venue: National Archives of Estonia, Vahi building

Address: Vahi 7, Tartu

May 26th (2 hours: 9.30–11.30)

This workshop will provide an overview of the archive’s map and parchment collections’ condition survey specifics; namely, conservation procedures before digitisation and preservation methods considering the size and physical appearance of the documents. As a practical task from the workshop, mass processing for flattening the paper record sheets will be performed.

St John’s Church – up from ruins

Venue: St John’s Church

Address: Jaani Street 5, Tartu

May 26th (2 hours: 9.30–11.30)

The medieval St John’s Church in Tartu burned down during the Soviet offensive of 1944. The most outstanding feature of St John’s is its wealth of terracotta figures, originally more than 1000 pieces. Polish restorers began restoring the church in 1989, but their work was later continued by Estonian specialists. The most crucial period of the restoration was the 1990s, where a balance was found between preserving parts and details left in ruins and the necessary reconstructions. The workshop seminar will discuss the problems and experiences arising from such a task, cognition between the original and modern from the view of the conservator.