The (de)construction of the medieval Vyborg image in local historians’ and tour guides’ practices

Abstract

The tourist image of modern Vyborg consists of various layers of the city's history – Swedish, Finnish and Soviet. The most attractive for tourists are few “medieval” objects of Vyborg, the main of which is the castle. To increase the tourist attractiveness of the place, local historians and tour guides deal with Vyborg monuments and historical sources, as well as construct the “medieval” Vyborg, using popular representations of the Middle Ages. Based on the in-depth interview method and on online survey, the article analyzes the perception of Vyborg by its inhabitants and the practices by which local historians and guides create the medieval image of the city. Such practices include theatrical excursions, quests, composing legends, etc. In addition, the authors take into account an alternative approach of the local history community, – deconstruction and problematization of the medieval past of Vyborg due to the lack of written and material sources on this period.

Keywords

• urban environment
• middle ages
• tourism
• local history
• vyborg
• public history
• invention of tradition