28.08.25 • 09:00 – 18:00 • Ingeri Maja, Vaksali 19, Narva (3rd floor, seminar room)

Format: on-site or online (Zoom)

Participation is free, registration required

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On August 28, representatives of various Finno-Ugric peoples across the globe will gather in Narva — the Finno-Ugric Capital of Culture 2025 – to participate in Finno-Ugric Open Forum. The participants will discuss the current situation with Finno-Ugric peoples and their languages, challenges the international Finno-Ugric movement faces, changes required for the sustainable development of languages and cultures, and international Finno-Ugric cooperation in the new geopolitical context.
 

The current Finno-Ugric Open Forum takes place in Narva House of Ingria. The Forum’s mission is to provide an open space for activists, scholars, cultural workers and everyone interested. The Forum follows the tradition of independence started by Finno-Ugric Open Congress held in 2016 in Lahti, Finland after the work of traditional World Finno-Ugric Congresses was paralysed by the attempts of Russian Federation to silence any criticism of the situation with Finno-Ugric peoples and languages in its territory.

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KEY TOPICS

• The current state of Finno-Ugric peoples and their languages.

• Strengths and weaknesses of the Finno-Ugric movement: achievements, problems, challenges.

• Changes required for the sustainable development of languages and cultures.

• Restarting international Finno-Ugric cooperation in the new geopolitical context.
   

PROGRAMME
09:00–10:00 Registration, welcome coffee
10:00–10:30 Opening of the Forum
10:30–11:30 Panel 1 “Finno-Ugric peoples and languages today: Baltic-Finnic focus”

Moderator: Britt-Kathleen Mere
Speakers: Sofia Johanna Rova; Tuomo Kondie; Aleksei Anisimov; Ekaterina Kuznetsova; Hipp Saar; Madis Arukask

11:30–12:00 Coffee break

12:00–12:30 Panel 2 “Finno-Ugric peoples and languages today: Permic focus”

Speakers: Aleksei Ivanov; Natalia Kovylyaeva; Lana Pylaeva (online); Artyom Medvedev (online)

12:30–13:30 Lunch

13:30–14:30 Panel 3 “Political changes needed for the survival and development of languages”

Moderator: Pavel Ivlev
Speakers: Jukka Mallinen; Mitia Laius; Bogáta Timár; Sampsa Holopainen (online); Juku-Kalle Raid

14:30–15:30 Coffee break

15:30–16:30 Panel 4 “International Finno-Ugric movement: today and tomorrow”

Moderator: Eero Raun
Speakers: Rune Bjerkli; Oliver Loode; Anti Lillak; Edina Csüllog

16:30–17:45 Open Mic (on-site + Zoom)
17:45–18:00 Wrap-up and closing remarks
 

Working language of the Forum is English.

We invite everyone who cares about the future of Finno-Ugric languages and cultures. See you in Narva on 28 August!