Discussion Festival in Saunas by the Emajõgi River in May – The Naked Truth.
It is a discussion festival in saunas, is returning to Tartu! This event combines a sauna festival and a discussion festival, where the sauna benches serve as discussion stages. The goal is to create a pleasant gathering, promote sauna culture, and develop a conversation culture inspired by the sauna experience.
Mobile saunas will be set up at the city beach by the Emajõgi River. Every full hour, a dialogue-based discussion will start, lasting 20–30 minutes, followed by a cooling-off session. Discussions will revolve around three themes: heritage, green living, and peace. A new discussion will start at the next full hour, and conversations can continue even during the cooling-off period. There will be a total of nine saunas for the discussions.
“The sauna is known as the poor man’s doctor, but the sauna also improves democracy. The discussion culture in the sauna is friendly, egalitarian and respectful. The sauna shows us a model for how social discussion can be saved,” says Hannele Valkeeniemi, the event’s executive producer and director of the Finnish Institute in Estonia.
The event was first organized as part of the main program of the Tartu 2024 Capital of Culture. Due to good feedback, it is now being organized again.
One of the discussion saunas will be a frontline sauna that leaving soon to Ukraine. This is a cooperation project between HUUM and “Saunas for Ukraine”, the seventh sauna of which is currently being completed. The first steam baths of the frontline sauna will be held in Tartu, and the sauna will, of course, discuss peace.
In addition, on the shore will be erected the sauna of the future Capital of Culture Oulu 2026, a sauna, which was originally built in Tartu a year ago. It was made into a disassembled and assembled sauna, which is now returning from Oulu to Tartu.
Recently, new models have begun to be sought for safe social discussion. Dialogue based on listening is one model that has begun to be expanded in recent years in both Finland and Estonia. There is a pressing need to find ways to reduce confrontation and hate speech. The sauna is a good role model. The sauna is also one of the few places where people are equal, without mobile phones and no rush. The Naked Truth discussions are also not recorded, all conversations remain in the sauna.
Recently, new models have begun to be sought for safe social discussion. Dialogue based on listening is one model that has begun to be expanded in recent years in both Finland and Estonia. There is a pressing need to find ways to reduce confrontation and hate speech. The sauna is a good role model. The sauna is also one of the few places where people are equal, without mobile phones and no rush. The Naked Truth discussions are also not recorded, all conversations remain in the sauna.
The discussion leaders, or sauna masters, include “sauna minister” Rein Sikk, writer Mika Keränen, television journalist Astrid Kannel, director of the film Smoke sauna sisterhood Anna Hints, founder of Levila Daniel Vaarik, promoter of smoke sauna culture Eda Veeroja, writer Triinu Laan, trainer Toomas Trapido, sauna activist Marko “Pluuto” Puksing, and consultant for social change Joanna Kurvits.
The role of the discussion leaders is different from that of conventional panels or interviews. The moderator sets the discussion in motion, but the discussion participants determine the direction. The idea of the dialogic model is to listen to others, take what has been said before, and talk about their own experience. The aim is not to “win” the debate or convert anyone to your own opinion, but to develop the idea. The dialogue model is an application of the Timeout method (Aeg maha/Timeout) developed in Finland.
Event Details
📅 Dates & Times:
- Friday, May 16, 2024 – 4 PM to 9 PM
- Saturday, May 17, 2024 – 3 PM to 8 PM
- No discussions will take place during the first and last hours.
📍 Location:
Emajõe city beach, Ujula Street 102, Tartu
🗣 Languages:
Most discussions will be in Estonian, with one sauna offering discussions in English.
🎟 Tickets:
- €10
- €5 (for pensioners, students and children between 12-17 y)
- Free for children under 12
Tickets on site or in advance from Piletilevi. Please note, that there are limited number of places. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
Tickets 16.05.2025 here: https://www.piletilevi.ee/est/piletid/varia/alasti-tode-463407/
Tickets 17.05.2025: https://www.piletilevi.ee/est/piletid/varia/alasti-tode-463408/
Partners
Eesti Maaturism, Oulu 2026, Oulun Rantasaunaseura, International Sauna Association (ISA), MTÜ Emajõe Lodjaselts, Tarton Suomi-seura, Tartu 2024, City of Tartu, HUUM
🎭 Producer:
Hannele Valkeeniemi, Finnish Institute
📧 hannele.valkeeniemi@finst.ee
Mika Keränen in the Oulu 2026 sauna at the first Naked Truth event. PHOTO: Lauri Kulpsoo
