The Kalamaja Museum of the Tallinn City Museum was awarded the prestigious Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement at the 2024 European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA).

The travelling trophy associated with the award will soon be passed on to the next laureate.

In 2024, the Kalamaja Museum was named the European Museum of the Year for Community Engagement and received the prestigious Silletto Prize. The award recognises the museum’s deep, lasting, and empowering engagement with its stakeholders—placing the museum at the heart of its communities, whether local, national, global, or otherwise defined. Receiving the award has significantly raised the museum’s profile and increased visitor numbers by as much as 40%.

Over the past year, the museum has gained international recognition and firmly established itself as a strong voice for community engagement in Estonia. The Kalamaja Museum has shared its experiences across Europe and hosted colleagues from both Estonia and abroad.

“Such a major and important European award naturally empowered and highlighted, above all, the people of Kalamaja — those who have been involved in the creation of the museum and are engaged in our everyday activities, those who have organized exhibitions, guided tours, cooking evenings, and more. What could be prouder than our community member Anneliis being able to tell her friends that she has helped create the best museum in Europe,” said Kristi Paatsi, head of the Kalamaja Museum.

This year, the museum has implemented several community-focused initiatives: a telephone booth in front of the historic Kalma Sauna features an audio exhibition of local residents’ stories, and a community-created Kalamaja Cookbook was published in collaboration with neighbourhood residents.

The Silletto Prize is also a meaningful acknowledgment for the City of Tallinn, which co-founded the Kalamaja Museum.

This year, 42 museums have been nominated for the Silletto Prize. Kristi Paatsi highlights two remarkable candidates: the Alvor Lifeguard Interpretation Centre in Portugal, which was created in close cooperation with the local fishing community, and the Maria Callas Museum in Athens, which presents the opera legend’s life and work in a unique and engaging way.