Äʹvv skoltesamisk museum

About the museum

Äʹvv skoltesamisk museum is located in Neiden in Sør-Varanger, about 800 metres north of the bridge over the Neiden River and Skoltefossen. The museum conveys the history of the Skolt Sámi. The Skolt Sámi are the people who live in the border area between Norway, Finland and Russia, and the Skolt Sámi language is on UNESCO's list of endangered languages. The name Äʹvv is Skolt Sámi and means the reflection of the sun on water or snow.

In 1998 the Sámi Parliament decided that an East Sámi museum facility should be the Sámi millennium site. Construction began in 2007, and the building, designed by the architectural firm Pir2 from Trondheim, was completed in 2008. The museum first opened on 16 June 2017, and the name was changed to Äʹvv skoltesamisk museum to make clear that it concerns the culture, language and history of the Skolt Sámi. The museum is part of Tana og Varanger museumssiida together with Saviomuseet, Varanger samiske museum and Tana museum.

The basic exhibition Saaʹmijânnam Skoltelandet consists of about 300 objects on 200 square metres, divided into the rooms The People, The Land and The World. Skolt Sámi is the main language of the exhibition, and the texts are also available in Russian, Norwegian, Finnish and English. About one and a half kilometres from the museum lies Skoltebyen (the Skolt village) with the protected St. George's Chapel, which the museum manages. At the entrance stand two artworks from Kunst i offentlige rom (Art in Public Spaces): “Språkminne” (Language Memory) by Espen Sommer Eide and “Omasum” by Geir Tore Holm.

Highlights

• The basic exhibition Saaʹmijânnam Skoltelandet with about 300 objects
• Skolt Sámi as the main language in the exhibition
• Skoltebyen with St. George's Chapel, about 1.5 km from the museum
• The artworks “Språkminne” and “Omasum” from Kunst i offentlige rom
• Guided tours of the museum and in Skoltebyen

Permanent exhibition

• Saaʹmijânnam Skoltelandet – Basic exhibition with about 300 objects on 200 square metres, divided into the rooms The People, The Land and The World, with Skolt Sámi as the main language.

Founded

2017

Operated by

Tana og Varanger museumssiida

Admission & discounts

Guided tours can also be arranged outside opening hours; contact the museum for the exact price.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Children under 16 enter free. The museum has offers for nurseries and schools.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 800 metres north of the bridge over the Neiden River and Skoltefossen, and about 1.5 km from Skoltebyen.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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