The museum director acknowledged on the "Terevisioon" morning show that although several capable young people have started working at the museum in recent years due to a generational shift, she is concerned about how long she can keep them employed, as departures have already occurred. Most have left for jobs in schools. "But I understand the people, and I don't blame them at all," she said.

Helme expressed her disappointment with the cultural sector's minimum wage of €1,600, calling it depressing and demeaning. She highlighted that most of the staff at the Art Museum of Estonia hold master's or doctoral degrees. "We don't typically want to hire anyone without at least a master's degree – we send them straight to graduate school. And then they receive this meager salary, which is impossible to live on. I feel bad, and the people simply can't manage," she said. "This is not just a disgrace for institutional leaders; it is, in fact, a disgrace for the country."

According to Helme, the heads of cultural institutions have been meeting since August. She pointed out that many cultural workers feel like they are viewed as a disruptive factor. "There's a constant narrative that culture is always begging for money. That's not true. Culture is a very economically viable sector, and beyond that, it's an essential backbone of why the state exists and functions," she emphasized.

Helme stressed the importance of recognizing the economic value of culture when discussing it. "It's tied to the economy, politics – everything. It's such a broad concept, but it feels like it's been reduced to isolated events – lots of great summer festivals, we travel around, everything seems great, but there's no broader understanding of why [culture] is necessary for things to work," she noted. "And the worst part is, we haven't received any signals suggesting that we should sit down and analyze the situation. If there were at least a message saying, 'Yes, things are really bad right now, but try to cope...' But I would say we can't anymore. We don't have the energy, and our motivation is fading."

In Helme's view, the state is cynically exploiting cultural workers. "What else can you do if you're a singer, dancer or exhibit curator? Where will you go? It seems to me that this attitude is quite common – 'they get their little paycheck, but they're so happy to be singing or putting on concerts.' This is an exceptionally cynical view of culture," she emphasized. "If culture begins to climb back up from this decline, it's a long process. You can't fix it quickly. Culture isn't something that will thrive just because we give you a few extra million today. Quite the opposite – the real consequences will be felt two or three years from now," she warned.

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