Film Archive (ERM F)
The collection contains 35 mm films from 1952–1991, including material filmed during ERM fieldwork in Estonia and among Finno-Ugric peoples. Since 2012, the archive has also been expanded with 8 mm and 16 mm amateur films donated by private individuals and film clubs, offering an uncensored view of everyday life in Soviet-era Estonia. The films have been digitised. 2025. In 2025, the collection comprised 324 films.
Video Collection (ERM V)
The collection contains recordings from the 1980s to the present day: ethnographic fieldwork in Estonia and among Finno-Ugric peoples, footage of cultural and everyday life in Estonia and the Estonian diaspora, as well as documentation of ERM’s general activities. The material, mainly on VHS and DV cassettes, has been digitised at ERM. Since 2012, digital files have also been archived. 2025. In 2025, the collection comprised 1,664 films.
Sound Archive (ERM Fn)
The collection contains recordings of interviews conducted during the museum’s fieldwork from 1998 onwards. Both Estonians in Estonia and Estonians abroad have been interviewed. Topics include contemporary everyday life, work culture, economic and rural life, deportation, escape, and exile. The collection also contains sounds and voice recordings made for Estonian films in the 1970s–1990s. 2025. In 2025, the collection comprised 838 recordings, and the material has been digitised.