24. Apr 2024 - 21. Sep 2025

“Washing Machine Made of Beetroot: Resourcefulness in the Countryside”

16:00 - 17:00

Kambja parish | Eesti Põllumajandusmuuseum

Exhibition/museum
Main programme

0 - 14 €

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A sub-exhibition of the “Washing Machine Made of Beetroot” project.

During the Soviet era, every resident of a farm or kolkhoz centre had a small garden that helped cover the table during food shortages. Difficult times and challenging conditions made the people resourceful. Tools and machines were invented for gardening tasks and also repaired, so they served their owners for decades.

Valuable components were purchased from scrapyards and farm repair shops, and the so-called “men with golden hands” pieced together tractors and other machines using these parts. These tractor “inventors” displayed significant skill, as there were no examples to follow and they primarily learned through experimentation. Skills in welding and locksmithing proved to be invaluable.

Garden produce was processed at home – people made preserves, jams and juices. They were always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes. There wasn’t a country home or dining room without beautiful textiles crafted by the housewife, adorning both the table and the room itself.

All these subjects are explored in the sub-exhibition, and all visitors are invited to think about how necessity can be transformed into choice.

If you want to grab a bite or need a place to stay, see what the Tartu 2024 hospitality network offers in the area: https://tartu2024.ee/recommendations-kambja