Under the leadership of the Peipsi Cooperation Center, the COMAND – Collections of Museum Artifacts for Networked Digitalization project, funded by the Central Baltic 2021–2027 program, was launched.
The 18-month project aims to strengthen the digital capabilities of small museums in Estonia and Finland and improve the accessibility of cultural heritage to local communities, schools and visitors. The project focuses primarily on small museums in the Peipsi region and rural areas of Southern Finland, which have limited opportunities to digitize their collections and use modern digital solutions.
During the project, at least 20 museum staff and volunteers will receive training in digital curation, storytelling, exhibition design, communication and marketing. In addition, 8–10 museums will be equipped with modern digitization equipment and the necessary infrastructure to enable high-quality digitization of museum collections and their presentation to the wider public. As an important result, a joint digital solution will be developed in Estonia and Finland, which will connect the collections of the participating museums and allow visitors to explore the cultural heritage of the region regardless of their location.
The project will also include outreach and engagement activities aimed at reaching more than 5,000 people, including schools, communities and tourists. The Estonian side of the project is represented by the Peipus County Museum, Kalevipoeg Hall, Livonian Museum, Iisaku Museum and Kodavere Heritage Centre. The Finnish partners are Askola Museum, Virrat Museum, Pernaja Museum and Museum of Wanha Woima / Cultural Heritage Centre.
The project is led by the Peipsi Cooperation Centre, and the Finnish lead partner is the Finnish Local Heritage Federation (Suomen Kotiseutuliitto).
COMAND combines Estonia’s digital state experience with Finland’s strong expertise in cultural heritage preservation. Cross-border cooperation will create practical and sustainable solutions that help small museums make their collections more visible, improve visitor experience and strengthen regional cultural and tourism networks.
The project’s lead partner is the Peipsi Cooperation Centre,
and the Finnish partner is the Finnish Local Heritage Federation,
The Finnish Local Heritage Federation,
The project is funded by the Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 and supported by the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Society Foundation. The project duration is May 2025 to August 2026. More information about the project: https://ctc.ee/projektid/kaimasolevad-projektid/comand
