St. John’s Church in Tartu is most famous for its terracotta figures that inhabit the interior and exterior of the church, remnants of approximately 2,000 it is thought to have had in the Middle Ages. There is no other building in the entire European Gothic tradition that could in any significant way compete with this church in the number, variety, and artistic quality of the terracotta sculptures. For more see http://www.estinst.ee/Ea/heritage/alttoa.html.
Jaan Lehtaru is the head of conservation in Tartu. He has worked at the National Archives since May 1999.
He likes old manuscripts, prints, maps, photos and the challenges related to their conservation. There are a lot of such challenges which is the reason why he has stayed here so long. Another reason is a friendly and supporting working environment at the archives.
The National Archives of Estonia is the centre of archival administration in Estonia. The National Archives collects and preserves records documenting history, culture, nationhood, and social conditions in Estonia.
The archives hold 8.8 million items, the oldest of which dates from 1240. In our virtual reading room one has free access to over 15 millions of digital images online and in 2015 already 99% of archival visits were online.
In the project co:op our activities include creating topotheques, organizing “Adventures in archives” and contributing to the blog.
The common weblog of the International Centre for Archival Research (ICARUS) and The European Branch of the International Council on Archives (EURBICA)
