Skolt Saami Cultural Centre

Tä´lvvsijdd – Centre for Living Skolt Saami Language and Culture in Sevettijärvi

The aim of Tä´lvvsijdd – Skolt Saami Cultural Centre is to create better opportunities for the Skolt Saami to maintain, preserve and develop their language and culture independently, respecting and taking into consideration their own perspectives, values and worldviews.

Above all, the cultural centre functions as a meeting place for the Skolt Saami of different generations. This will be a place where social contacts and networks are created and maintained, as well as where the Skolt Saami language is spoken and heard in its natural environment.

Currently, the Skolt Saami lack adequate premises to maintain and develop their own culture and language. The existing premises do not technically or functionally respond to set requirements either for Skolt Saami language teaching, children’s language nest operations, daytime activity services for elderly people, administrative operations, museum functions, or organised cultural events.

The Skolt Saami Cultural Centre is to be constructed in the centre of Sevettijärvi village and it will contain premises for services and activities related to the Skolt Saami culture and language. That is, the future building has room for, among others, the Skolt Saami language nest, teaching premises for general education in the Skolt Saami language, the Skolt Sámi translation services, a Skolt Saami library, administration of the Skolt Saami Village Committee and Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation, organised Skolt Saami cultural events as well as museum functions and space for local tourism services.

According to the space plan updated on 13th March 2014, the usable space consists of 720 m², the estimate for general office space (usable, support and circulation spaces) is 877 m². The estimate for the gross total area is 1,075 m² and the cubic volume of the building is estimated to be 5 114 m³. The estimated establishment cost is € 3,263,000 (VAT 0%).

The main actor of the Skolt Saami Cultural Centre is the Skolt Saami Cultural Foundation which also functions as the construction manager, implementer and owner in this project. Other bodies in the centre are the Skolt Saami Village Committee, the Saami Parliament in Finland, the Saami Museum Foundation, the Saami Education Institute, and Metsähallitus. At this phase of project planning, probable but yet unverified parties are Yle Sápmi, the Inari Municipality, and the Orthodox Church of Finland.

For more information on Skolt Saami Cultural Centre, please, click here.