SPY MUSEUM NEWS

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What's happening

The exhibition was upgraded to honour the new year
Now you can find the architect of Japan's attack against Pearl Harbor.
Also the weapons of spies has got something new and interesting.

Photography is allowed now!
All you need is a photography permit. It costs 5€.

New guide books!
Spy Museum enhanced it's services for foreign visitors with new guide books in Japanese and Polish. Other languages are: English, Swedish, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish and French.

New items in the collection

The museum's weapon collection has gotten more attractive, because of the .22 caliber hand gun used by Mossad.

The First Eight Years in the daylight

A single spy or technical device used in espionage could have influenced on the formation of the world even more than the familiar great men or governments of history. As examples are suitable Richard Sorge and on the other hand the cipher system Enigma. However, general historiography ignores or at least forgets to the margins also these factors, that have influenced on the formation of current Europe. Therefore it was important to build a museum for the preservation and public presentation of this phenomenon.
Radio-, camera etc. communication technology museums can be found from the world beyond measure. Their collections have also some devices used in espionage. Similarly, there are places closed from public, that deal with the activity and history of single national organizations, such as the entire section in the Imperial War Museum in London. But then there was not a museum, which would have covered international espionage or given even a cross-section about it.

The opening took place on May Day eve in 1998 in the Tullintori area of Tampere. The finding of suitable premises for the function was more problematic than had been imagined, because of a tight schedule. The search for appropriate premises continued and already after four months the exhibition was moved to Yliopistonkatu, but that place was also of short duration.
In the fall of 1999 from the Hatanpää area became vacant a former leather manufacturer’s office and residence. The plainly beautiful house, which was completed in 1926 and located in the middle of a wild small park, was like made for the Spy Museum. Into the basement of the house could be placed also the collection of the escape artist Timo Tuomivaara, that had ended into the museum’s possession. It was a geographically and temporally extensive collection of chains. From the point of view of the museum’s management it was handy, that to the house moved also a corporation, which was responsible for marketing.
In the spring of 2000 Spy Museum was approached by curator Jeffrey Growe, who told about the sister museum International Spy Museum, that would be opened in Washington. Spy Museum was setting up its position as a part of the travel service and culture offerings of Tampere.
Jaarli Hoikka, M.A., was appointed as the museum’s amanuensis in 2000. The informative contribution of the museum started to be supplemented first with the themes that dealt with the education of British spies and the female spies. Later in turn were Sidney Reilly’s story (model for James Bond) (2003), Operation Stella Polaris (2004) and a section that dealt with the espionage of the Cold War (2005).

In the Spy Museum has been lecture events, for instance, on the international espionage day 17th of June. Erna-agent Ülo Jogi came in 1999 to tell about the intelligence and sabotage group of Estonian men, which had been established to the connection of Finland’s army. Pekka Sartola lectured about the activities of the intelligence services of Middle East and especially Israel in 2004. In connection with book publications have been dealt with, among other things, Lauri Törni’s colorful stages of life and new interpretations about the leading figures of Finland’s Civil War.

Next to English guide leaflets was made translations also in Russian, Swedish and German. By reservation the museum started also to give guidance with these languages. According to a report done by MEK, the Russian travel trade’s employees describe the museum as “a jewel” beside the big institutions among other destinations in Tampere.
The exhibition had to find new premises again. The owner of the museum house decided to tear it down from Hatanpään puistokuja, out of the way of modern store spaces. Finlayson’s old factory complex, which was located in the center of Tampere, was renovated into a versatile center primarily for different profession’s offices, cultural institutions, restaurants and other companies of service trade. In the fall of 2003 the Spy Museum moved to the premises, that had been furnished according to the special wishes of the museum during the summer. New, larger premises made possible the reception of bigger groups than before.
The moving of the activity to the city’s center was reflected immediately in the amount of visitors. Especially the number of foreign visitors increased essentially, because now the museum was located a short walk away from the hotels. In 2004 the total amount of customers rose to over 20 000. In the summer time the number of visitors doubled compared to the last year.

For the basis of the comprehensive development of the museum was made a report about the customer satisfaction in the fall of 2004. The Spy Museum was find to introduce very well the history of espionage (71%), the persons (84%) and the methods (63%). As quite or very well was estimated all of the nine asked features by 92% of the interviewees. The most important development wishes concerned mainly the presentation of modern espionage technology.

Teppo Turja, founder of Spy Museum