On May 3rd 2017, we met with Irina Kreer-Boulay in Ateneum Museum for a conversation where Irina kindly shared her thoughts about Finnish culture, contemporary and traditional art, Russian-Finnish relations, generations and their perception of art and culture, as well as, professional peculiarities of working with Russian tourists in Helsinki.
Irina Kreer-Boulay is an experienced tour guide in Helsinki working for Ateneum, Kiasma and Design museum. She is not only an expert in Finnish art and culture but also an artist herself. Her artistic ca
reer started in Saint Petersburg after graduating from the famous Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, better known as Mukhina’s Academy among Petersburgers, where she acquired a degree in Arts and Crafts department specializing in Textile Design.
Irina has been living in Finland for over 10 years. Moving to Helsinki and adapting to the new environment was was not easy, despite of previous experience of living abroad, in England. That is why English is also a language she uses in her professional sphere. Despite that, Irina emphasizes the knowledge of Finnish language is essential for working in the field of culture and tourism, especially, because preparing suitable material for excursions always demands looking for information which, very often, cannot be found in any language but Finnish.
Moreover, her professional activity is not limited by tour guiding only. She also participates as a graphic artist in workshops inside museums and gives drawing lessons for adults and children. Drawing classes are promoted among the Russian-speaking population of the capital and are especially in demand among Russian-speaking parents and their children who aim to keep the Russian culture as part of their personal cultural heritage. The drawing classes conducted by Irina are a place where children have an opportunity to develop their artistic talents and creativity and at the same time practice Russian language with others.
The museums Irina works as a tour guide have both ‘traditional’ art exhibitions and contemporary art events. Our interviewee shared her thoughts about the perception of contemporary art by Russian visitors. According to Irina, contemporary art remains not very cherished by the older generation. However, the younger generation is more eager to get to know the newest tendencies in the art sphere. This difference in perception among different generations applies not only to art but relations and attitudes between cultures in general. The new generation distances itself from the ‘traditional’ understanding of Russian-Finnish relations and is especially moved by Finnish modern lifestyle and culture.
Russian-Finnish relations have always been contradictory, however, historically there are many connections between these countries. This historical interdependence among Russia and Finland is a valuable source for easing the understanding of the information provided to the Russian audience during her excursions. Thus, when Irina mentions names like Jean Sibelius, who performed in Russia, or Arvid Järnefelt, who has a partly-Russian ancestry, she uses these connections between Russia and Finland to make the material in her guided tours more proximate to the visitors.
“People, who learn Russian language, often come to my guided tours to listen to Russian speech in the context of art. This is the so-called, kielikylpy – immersion in the language”
Despite controversial contemporary sociopolitical relations between neighboring countries Russia and Finland, our interviewee argues that there is a positive tendency in attitudes and an increase in interest in each other’s culture. Lately, many Finns started learning Russian language, “and often the reason of that lies not because they want to use Russian for business purposes, but simply because they admire the culture of this country,” Irina says. She encounters these enthusiasts, who dare to learn Russian language which is commonly known as one of the most difficult in the world, on her excursions. “People, who learn Russian language, often come to my guided tours to listen to Russian speech in the context of art. This is the so-called, kielikylpy – immersion in the language,” she explains.
“There are artists who work outside the geographical framework”
The dialogue remains an important aspect for the understanding of contemporary art. Museums also organize tours where the conversation and discussion are the key aspects. Even non-experts participate in such tours, and the interaction clearly bears fruit. Nowadays, discussions on politics are often hard to be avoided, and contemporary artists use this topic as an inspiration. Irina notices that the political topic is natural to appear in art, as “culture is the reflection of the reality,” Irina adds. However, according to our interviewee, there are many artists stepping outside from the geographical understanding of political divisions, “there are artists who work outside the geographical framework. These artists create something for the internet, where the majority of us lives too.”
“People would always find a reason to dislike someone if they really want to”
Unfortunately, historically, the Russian-Finnish relations are viewed as rather problematic and far from smooth. In this context, art becomes an extra dimension for discussions and, hopefully, these discussions would guide us to a better understanding of the Russian-Finnish intercultural relations. “People would always find a reason to dislike someone if they really want to,” Irina sums up.
On my behalf, I wish Irina the best with her professional accomplishments and hope she continues presenting the fascinating Finnish culture to the Russian-speaking audience, and this process would be mutually beneficial both for Russian and Finnish people.
You can take a look on her artworks online by visiting Irina’s personal page by clicking here.