"I'm giving up voluntarily, no one has let me go," the first lady, who had been in the role since 2018, told Tartu Postimees (link in Estonian), noting that the decision had nonetheless been a hard one.

Sirje Karis' last working day at the museum is June 30, though the admits she does not know what her next step will be, though when her husband, President Alar Karis, was elected President of Estonia last autumn, Sirje Karis had said that she had not wanted to be a full-time first lady and wished to remain in the post.

Tartu city government has started its search for a new director, whose role will include gearing up towards 2024, when Tartu will be European Capital of Culture.

Sirje Karis had pledged to renovate the museum and renew its showpieces, a task which required extra funding - as much as €4.5 million, according to Tartu deputy mayor Lemmit Kaplinski (SDE).

The original Tartu Postimees piece (in Estonian) is here.

The president himself was also a Tartu museum director, of the Estonian National Museum (ERM), right up until elected president.

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