May 18 is World Museum Day. International Museum Day

May 18 museum workers around the world celebrate their professional holiday. In 1977, International Museum Day appeared on the calendar. This year, at the next meeting of ICOM (International Council of Museums - International Council of Museums), the proposal of the Russian organization to establish the holiday of the International Museum Day was adopted.

Since then, since 1977, May 18 has taken a special place in the life of every museum in every corner of the world. Both large and very small museums celebrate International Museum Day extremely solemnly - arrange open days, hold unusual excursions, exhibitions, concerts.

The President of ICOM, Jacques Perot, expressed his opinion: “museums should take their place at the heart of society and be open to the public. The development of our institutions depends to a large extent on the help of the public, and we must offer them the opportunity to support our goals and take part in our work. Thus, it is essential that museums and their Friends work together in a spirit of creativity and innovation.”

Moscow Kremlin

On this holiday, May 18, International Museum Day, let's talk about perhaps the most famous museum-reserve in Russia - the Moscow Kremlin.

Moscow has been standing on Russian land for nine centuries and, it seems, does not feel its ancient age at all, it looks rather into the future than into the past. But there is a place in Moscow where every period of its centuries-old history, every turn of its complex fate has left its indelible mark. This place is the Moscow Kremlin.

It is located in the center of a huge city on a high hill above the Moscow River. From the opposite bank of the river, the walls and towers of the Kremlin create the impression of a majestic architectural ensemble. Nearby, one can feel the harsh power of this ancient citadel. The height of its walls, narrow loopholes and battlefields, the measured step of the towers - everything indicates that, first of all, this is a fortress.

Upon entering the Kremlin, the impression changes. On its territory there are spacious squares and cozy squares, grand palaces and golden-domed temples. Today, everything here truly breathes with History - ancient cannons and bells, ancient cathedrals that have preserved in memory so many events, so many names ... Here everything is nearby, all together - the royal towers and palaces of the New Age, the residence of the President of Russia and world-famous museums.

So what is the Moscow Kremlin - this amazing fortress city in the center of Moscow? A stronghold of power, an ancient spiritual center of Moscow and Russia, a treasury of its art and antiquity? It is hardly possible to find an exhaustive answer. Apparently, something unsaid will always remain behind him, some kind of hidden meaning and significance. Having absorbed the history of the country, having become a witness and participant in all its most important events, the Kremlin has turned into an all-Russian national shrine, has become a symbol of Moscow and all of Russia.

More than nine hundred years of the history of Moscow and the Kremlin is too long to even try to list all its main events and facts. We offer not a detailed chronicle of events, but rather a story about the historical fate of the Moscow Kremlin, each turn of which is a milestone in the life of our country.

Kremlin in the 20th century

In March 1918, the Soviet government moved from Petrograd to Moscow, and it acquired the status of the capital of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), since 1922 - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The Kremlin became the place of work of the highest authorities of the state. In 1918 - 1922, the office and apartment of V.I. Lenin were located in the Senate building, and then, until 1953, - I.V. Stalin. All this time the Kremlin was closed for free visiting.

In 1935, 4 eagles were removed from the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and Troitskaya towers, and five-pointed stars were installed on them.

As a result of anti-religious propaganda, which was especially active in the 1930s, many monasteries and churches were not only closed but also destroyed in the country. The Moscow Kremlin also suffered significant losses. The largest of them was the demolition in 1929 of two ancient and famous monasteries - Chudov and Voznesensky. The building of the Military School erected in their place hardly adorned the Kremlin, but each time has its own face...

During the terrible years of the Great Patriotic War, all the treasures of the Armory were evacuated from Moscow, and the Kremlin itself, fortunately, was practically not damaged. Since 1955, it has again become available for inspection. Millions of Russian and foreign citizens began to get acquainted with the Armory, historical relics and shrines of the Kremlin churches, and the Museum of Applied Art and Life of Russia of the 17th century was opened in the former Patriarchal Palace.

In 1961, at the Trinity Gate, on the site of the first building of the Armory, the Palace of Congresses was erected, which, like everything that was built in the Kremlin, became a symbol of its time. The huge hall of the Palace hosted congresses of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), international congresses and forums.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Moscow Kremlin underwent repair and restoration works that were unique in composition and scale.

In 1990, the Moscow Kremlin was included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The following year, the museums located on its territory were transformed into the Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, which included the famous Armory, Assumption, Archangel, Annunciation Cathedrals, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the Museum of Applied Art and Life of Russia of the 17th century, architectural ensemble of the bell tower of Ivan the Great.

In December 1991, the USSR as a single state, which included fifteen republics, ceased to exist. Moscow became the capital of independent Russia, and the ancient Kremlin became the residence of the President of the country.

In 1997, Moscow solemnly celebrated its 850th anniversary. Large restoration work took place in the Moscow Kremlin. The famous Red Porch of the Faceted Chamber was restored, the Alexander and Andreevsky Halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace were revived, and the Senate building was restored. On the days of great church holidays, solemn services are held in the cathedrals, after a long silence, the Kremlin bells rang. But there are also irreparable losses, the memory of which is also preserved by this ancient citadel on Borovitsky Hill...

We sincerely congratulate all the inhabitants of our planet on May 18, International Museum Day!

Conversation "International Museum Day"

Every year on May 18, museum workers around the world celebrate their professional holiday. And, of course, those of us who are looking forward to the next trip to the local history museum of our city or meeting with rare exhibits of the Hermitage or the Louvre are also involved in today's holiday.

International Museum Day appeared on the calendar in 1977, when at a regular meeting of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) a proposal from a Russian organization to establish this cultural holiday was adopted.

Since 1978, International Museum Day has been celebrated in more than 150 countries. In 2014, the International Museum Day will be held under the motto: "Museum collections unite."

It is generally accepted that society expresses its attitude to the historical and cultural heritage through museums, and it is difficult to disagree with this. By collecting and storing monuments of material and spiritual culture, museums carry out a great deal of scientific and educational work.

The international action "Night of Museums" is timed to this holiday. As a rule, it is held on the night from Saturday to Sunday closest to May 18th.

The Night of Museums is an initiative of German colleagues. In Russia, the Night of Museums has already been held several times. Non-state museums and private galleries are also joining this action in Russia.

According to experts, over time, the Night of Museums will gain popularity no less, and perhaps even more than the International Museum Day itself.

USA. America is the leader in the number of strange museums.

Museum of cockroaches.

A whole museum complex in Texas is dedicated to these insects. It is located in the city of Plano. The fact is that the exhibits found their place in Michael Boden's shop, which sells conventional insect and other pest control products. The Cockroach Hall of Fame Museum has been around for 20 years.

Visitors to the museum complex can see both living and dead insects. The owner of the exposition uses the bodies of dried cockroaches to create dioramas - he dresses them up in costumes and places them in certain thematic interiors.

So, for example, in the museum you can see a cockroach dressed up in the style of Marilyn Monroe, as well as cockroaches surfing and playing musical instruments.

Boden keeps several hundred living cockroaches, which, after death, become exhibits of his museum.

The organizer of the museum specially breeds cockroaches, and after their natural death immortalizes them by dressing them in human clothes or presenting them in an unusual way.

Burnt Food Museum (California, USA)

This museum was founded by Deborah Hanson-Conant, and it was because of her failures in the kitchen that the first exhibits appeared in the museum. By the way, each item in the museum's collection is provided with a commentary by the "author" himself or his relatives.

The most stupid and pointless is the Museum of Burnt Food. These cupcakes, pizzas, pies and many other dishes will never make it to anyone's table. But the museum still has a moral, and it is simple: be careful while cooking and do not skimp on fire safety.

Mustard Museum - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, USA

Founder Berry Levenson began collecting mustard in the 1980s, but the museum did not open until 1992. The museum's collection includes more than 4,800 mustards in bottles, tubes, and jars from 50 states and 60 countries. The exposition also includes a historical tour of mustard production. Mustard lovers should definitely visit the museum's unique gift shop, which sells many different types of mustard.

Kansas Barbed Wire Museum, La Crosse, Kansas

The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum opened in 1971. He tells people about the history of barbed wire, often referred to as the "Devil's Rope". Now the collection includes more than 2,000 types of barbed wire, some exhibits date back to the 19th century.

Burlingame Candy Museum, Burlingame, California

This year the museum celebrates its 14th anniversary. The Candy Museum pays homage to traditional candy. The most valuable exhibit is the largest and most impressive vending machine in the world, its dimensions are almost 2.5 m. The museum houses the largest collection of old vending machines and other candy-related items. It is also worth visiting the gift shop where you can create your own piece of candy history!

Museum of the human body with the name Corpus (Corpus), the Netherlands

It is located in the Netherlands, not far from the university city of Leiden. The museum offers a journey inside the human body.

The unique museum is a figure of a seated man, a 35-meter-high structure built into a seven-story building.

The museum is very interesting and informative, the tour lasts 55 minutes, during this time the sounds of the body are imitated where the group is located. The museum of the human body presents copies of human organs, simulates the processes occurring in the body.

You can get into the museum of the human body through the giant's knee, climbing the escalator. Inside, visitors move past the internal organs, see the muscles, bones, heart, kidneys, digestive organs, lungs, ears, eyes and brain.

The screens show the work of the organs, their functions are shown, and all this with sounds. It shows what happens in the body when a person is injured in one or another organ, how reproduction occurs.

The tour ends on the top floor in the head of the "giant man".

The Corpus Museum of the Human Body is intended for people aged 6 years and over.

Museum of Medieval Torture, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The museum is located on the Red Light District in Amsterdam. And this place is not for the faint of heart. The Museum of Medieval Torture lives up to its name with dark lighting and an entrance from where visitors immediately start their journey down a dark corridor. To the attention of visitors is the exposition itself, as well as a tour introducing various types of torture, mainly drawing the attention of visitors to medieval times. Among the instruments of torture you can find an interrogation chair, a bone crushing hammer, a heretic's fork, various types of hanging cages and masks, and of course, a guillotine.

The most unusual museums in Russia.

Museum of superstitions of the Russian people.

When visiting this museum, you can meet characters familiar from childhood - Leshy, Baba Yaga, Kikimora and more than a hundred unusual and amazing creatures that existed in the fantasy world of our ancestors. Today, these heroes are carved from wood and live in the "Amber Castle", located in the Curonian Spit nature reserve in the Kaliningrad region.

Private museum of gramophones and phonographs.

This collection is located in an ordinary city apartment; it is considered the third largest in the world in terms of the number of unique devices. It should be noted that all exhibits are in working order. Sometimes the museum organizes musical evenings dedicated to listening to old records of the past and the century before last. The museum, located in St. Petersburg, was founded by Vladimir Deryabkin, a former clown, circus performer and trainer. Museum visits are only possible by prior arrangement.

Iron Museum.

Once a former merchant's house has now become a museum, having given its shelves to irons. Here you can trace the evolution of this important subject for our everyday life. The museum has more than 200 exhibits. These are bronze, and steel, and cast iron, electric and alcohol. Each of the irons is ready to serve one purpose - to iron, creating an impeccable look to clothes. The museum is located in the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky.

Mammoth Museum.

In order to visit it, you will have to go down to a depth of 20 meters, where a cave has been cut in the permafrost. It is here, in the cold, that the remains of animals that lived in Taimyr 20 thousand years ago are stored. In the museum you can see a collection of mammoth bones, their tusks, pieces of skins and bodies of these amazing and long-extinct animals. The museum itself is located in distant Yakutsk.

Mouse Museum.

This is a cute museum, known throughout the world, created by enthusiasts on a disinterested basis and is famous for its homeliness. In the city of Myshkin there is a museum in which toy rodents from all over the world live - Japan, France, Germany. There are more than five thousand exhibits in it, some of them are gifts from famous people, and many are handmade by children.

Sun Museum.

This museum is located not in the place of Indian settlement in South America, but in our Novosibirsk. The exhibition is illuminated even on bad weather - after all, it contains hundreds of images of our sun, which disperse bad weather. The museum presents numerous images of solar gods, solar signs, myths and fairy tales dedicated to the sun, as well as hymns. It will also be interesting to look at the products of craftsmen who once again remind you that we are all children of the sun.

Clock Museum.

In the city of Angarsk, since 1968, there has been a watch museum based on a private collection that has been collected for more than half a century. Looking at ten halls of time measurement objects, some of which date back to the 18th century, it is easy to forget about everything. Here you can see a skeleton clock and a basket clock, a clock in the form of a miniature steam locomotive, as well as office, wall and carriage clocks. In total, the museum has more than a thousand exhibits.

Water Museum.

Visitors to this museum are invited to follow the complex path that a drop of water makes before getting into our apartments, and then back into the reservoirs. The exhibition presents the evolution of water supply facilities in Moscow, its construction, starting from ancient times. Those who are especially interested have the opportunity to launch miniature models of equipment and facilities of Mosvodokanal. The museum is located in Moscow, not far from the Proletarskaya metro station. A similar museum, by the way, is located in St. Petersburg.

Wolf Museum.

This character is known to everyone from a distant childhood, where he was a frequent guest of fairy tales. In general, in the museum, wolves also appear in other guises - this is both a natural predator and a totem symbol. Here are collected films, sculptures, toys, paintings and poems dedicated to this interesting beast. Perhaps you can change your idea of ​​it by visiting the Tambov museum.

Bread Museum.

In Vladivostok, there is a museum that proves that the everyday food product - bread, can also be an interesting subject. The history of baking is centuries old, and this is what the exposition is trying to tell, which tells about baking mechanisms, shows barn books, as well as rare photographs and personal belongings of bakers of old times. Curiously, one of the halls has been turned into a 100-year-old pastry shop. However, it is not necessary to go to the Far East, there is a similar museum in St. Petersburg.

Museum of Cribs, Novosibirsk (Russia)

Absolutely everyone will like this museum in Novosibirsk - who hasn’t written a test at least once in their life or passed a test, hoping for their cheat sheets? Of course, many have sinned. In the Novosibirsk museum, you can learn about the most sophisticated ways to hide cheat sheets.

Among more than two hundred exhibits, there are very interesting options: cheat sheets in the form of women's earrings, cheat sheets inside a small "leaky" pack of juice, cheat sheets on a hair band. In the age of modern technology, all these finds already seem outdated, because today, in most cases, everything you need is downloaded to your smartphone.

Butterfly Museum in St. Petersburg

This is an unusual museum in which the exhibits are never in their places ... They are in constant motion, do what they want, often sit on visitors, and visitors are delighted with this! You enter the museum and find yourself in a real tropical paradise. It maintains a tropical climate: temperature + 28 degrees, and humidity - 70%. And the inhabitants of the museum are living huge tropical butterflies. In nature, these tropical beauties would never have met, because butterflies live on different continents: in Africa, America, Australia and Asia. Collections are updated weekly, and visiting the museum in a week, you can find other types of amazingly beautiful fluttering creatures!

Museum of New Year's toys, Veliky Ustyug (the birthplace of Father Frost)

The Museum of New Year's toys, as expected, is located in Veliky Ustyug. As you may have guessed, the exhibits are Christmas decorations from the 1930s-2000s, which are placed on artificial Christmas trees. Interestingly, the spruces are not inferior in age to their decorations. The theme of toys reflects the entire history of the country's development. For example, the exhibits of the 1930s are made of glass, cotton wool and paper, since until 1935 there was no production of Christmas decorations in the country. Starting in the forties, bottle glass toys appeared: Kremlin stars, orderlies and pistols. Toys of the 60s: corn on the cob and astronauts - guess why. Each visitor can donate his own Christmas tree toy to the museum.

Museums in other countries of the world

Mushroom Museum (Loire Valley, France)

This museum is worth a visit for all mushroom lovers. It was built in the form of a labyrinth of several man-made caves. Here you can learn about ancient and modern technologies for growing mushrooms, as well as see more than 500 varieties.

Paris Sewer Museum, Paris, France

Situated under the streets of Paris, this museum showcases the long history of the public sewer system, dating back to the first sewer system in Paris in the 13th century. The tunnels of the museum run parallel to the Seine. Visitors have the opportunity to see one of the oldest sewer mains serving the city. The exposition includes equipment for maintenance of sewer networks, uniforms of workers maintaining the system, and devices for cleaning lines. Also note that the toilets are connected to an existing sewerage system!

Hair Museum - Avanos, Turkey

The Hair Museum displays hair samples from over 16,000 different people. The owner of the museum is the famous Turkish potter Galip Koruktsu. And the museum itself is also unique because it is located in a dungeon. Koruktsu is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the largest collection of hair. Museum visitors have the opportunity to replenish the collection by donating their own locks. The museum opened in 1979 and has become an international phenomenon.

Cumberland Pencil Museum, Keswick, Cumbria, England

The museum is located on the first floors of the pencil factory. Visitors walk through a replica of a graphite mine. A tour of the museum gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the history of pencils by telling how they were made in the beginning. It is also worth visiting the drawing areas, where children can create their own masterpieces. It is necessary to check in advance when demonstrations are held, where parents and children can get expert advice. The museum also houses the longest pencil in the world, which is also worth seeing.

Tirana Kamikaze Museum, Japan, Minamikyushu city

There is a kamikaze museum in Japan. It was opened in 1975. The museum was opened on the site of the former Japanese Air Force base. All museum exhibits are dedicated to Japanese kamikaze pilots who gave their lives for the prosperity of their homeland during the Second World War.

The first director of this museum was also a kamikaze pilot. His name was Tadamasa Itatsu. By the will of fate, he remained alive, since all the flights that he made turned out to be unsuccessful.

The museum contains a huge number of things and documents that were left after the soldiers participating in the battle of Okinawa. These are 1036 last letters of the pilots, and various photographs. In addition, the museum has 4 aircraft models that were used in the attacks. In excellent condition in the museum is the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, which was taken from the bottom of the sea in 1980. Also in the museum you can watch a short video about the pilots.

Japan Snowflake Museum, Hokkaido Island

This is the only museum of its kind in the world, so it is doubly interesting. A snowflake is a substance that is 95% air. The founder of the Snowflake Museum is Nakaya Ukichiro, the scientist whose name the museum bears. For a very long time, scientists could neither photograph a snowflake nor examine it under a microscope. Now, when science has the last word, you can take very high-quality photos. Therefore, in the Snowflake Museum you will find a huge number of photographs of snowflakes that will delight you. The exposition of the museum is very diverse. It is convenient to view the exhibits by walking along the spiral staircase. The museum itself is located in snow caves, which, in a short period of time, led to a beautiful view. The museum is a little cool, but it should be, because you are in the snowflake museum!

All snowflakes are hexagonal with no exceptions. But the most important thing is not this, but the fact that not a single snowflake repeats another.

Spy Museum in Finland, Tampere

The original espionage museum is located in Finland in the city of Tampere. The museum was opened in 1988. It's funny that the bus number "7", which goes to the museum, was renamed "007" on the opening day, as the owner of the espionage museum, Teppo Turya, wished to do.

Here, all the exhibits can be touched, used and experimented on. You will meet a lie detector, and various devices for changing the voice, and a lot of other interesting things. Anyone who enjoys espionage will be asked to take a spy test.

After entering the museum, along with the ticket, guests are also given a card with tasks. Everyone enjoys doing these things. Someone is looking for a secret door, and someone breaks into a safe.

So the museum presents the departments: "Undercover Agents", "Women Spies", "Ninjas", "Spies Weapons". There is a special section dedicated exclusively to Russian spies, and their biography can be read in Russian. At the exit from the museum, everyone will be able to visit the spy shop and buy some interesting little thing as a keepsake: a pen with invisible ink or a compass, and much more.

Police Museum in Tampere, Finland

The Police Museum in Finland was opened in 2008.

Here you can see about one thousand feature films and documentaries, 60 thousand photographs, as well as 66 thousand items related to the work of the Finnish police. The museum is engaged not only in exhibition activities, but also in research work, which is aimed at constantly improving the work of the police. The Children's Police Station is constantly working in the museum, where the younger generation can learn a lot of new things for themselves, as well as find themselves "behind bars", or feel like a real law enforcement officer. This is a good life lesson that everyone needs to learn in order not to commit any atrocities in the future.

Munchausen Museum, Latvia, Vidzeme coast

The Munchausen Museum is one of the most visited in Latvia, in the city of Dunte. There are only two Munchausen museums in the world: one in Germany, in Bodenwerder, the second in Latvia.

In the exhibition you can see materials about the life of Munchausen in the Dunte estate (Vizdemskoe coast), household items of the 18th century.

The baron, together with his wife Yakobina, spent the six brightest years of his life in the Dunte estate. For several centuries, local residents have not stopped telling stories about Munchausen.

In the room of Munchausen's wife Jacobina, you will see a paradise of a real lady of the 18th century, and Baron Munchausen will meet you with a freshly caught game - a string of ducks killed with one shot.

3 best museums in Russia:

1. State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof".

Peterhof (Dutch. Peterhof, "Peter's courtyard") is a palace and park ensemble on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 29 km from St. Petersburg. It is located on the territory of the city of Peterhof (from 1944 to 1997 - Petrodvorets).

In 1712, the construction of a suburban imperial residence for Peter I began. In 1714, the Grand Palace was founded.

In 1715, Emperor Peter I decided to create a ceremonial imperial residence.

Peterhof includes several palace and park ensembles that have been formed over the course of two centuries. the Lower Park, the Upper Garden and the English Park are ensembles that were developed in the 18th century; Alexandria, Kolonistsky park, Lugovoi park, Alexander park, Sergievka, Own dacha - ensembles of the 19th century.

2. Hermitage

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is the largest in Russia and one of the largest art and cultural-historical museums in the world, a federal state budgetary institution of culture and museums.

The Hermitage arose in 1764 as a private collection of Catherine II, after 225 valuable paintings were transferred to her from Berlin.

The museum begins its history with collections of works of art, which the Russian Empress Catherine II began to acquire privately. Initially, this collection was located in a special palace wing - the Small Hermitage (from the French ermitage - a place of solitude, a cell, a hermit's shelter, a retreat), from which the common name of the future museum was fixed.

In 1852, from a greatly expanded collection, the Imperial Palace was formed and opened to the public.

The modern State Hermitage is a complex museum complex. The main exposition part of the museum occupies five buildings located along the embankment of the Neva River in the center of St. Petersburg, the main of which is considered to be the Winter Palace.

To date, the museum's collection includes about three million works of art and monuments of world culture, from the Stone Age to the present century.

The Hermitage is famous for its paintings: “The Benois Madonna” or another name “Madonna with a Flower” by Leonardo da Vinci and another painting “Madonna Litta”, as well as the equally famous painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt and many others.

3. Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery (TG) (also known as the Tretyakov Gallery) is an art museum in Moscow founded in 1856 by merchant Pavel Tretyakov and has one of the largest collections of Russian art in the world.

Pavel Tretyakov came up with the idea to collect his own painting collection after visiting the St. Petersburg Hermitage at the age of 20.

Pavel Tretyakov began building his art collection in the mid-1850s. The founding year of the Tretyakov Gallery is considered to be May 22, 1856, the day when Pavel Tretyakov acquired two paintings by Russian artists: "The Temptation" by N. G. Schilder and "Clash with Finnish Smugglers" by V. G. Khudyakov. In 1867, the Moscow City Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov was opened to the general public in Zamoskvorechye.

Her collection included 1276 paintings, 471 drawings and 10 sculptures by Russian artists, as well as 84 paintings by foreign masters.

The gallery was opened for public viewing in 1881, and in 1892, after the death of his brother Sergei, Tretyakov donated it to Moscow.

In August 1892, Pavel Mikhailovich donated his art gallery to the city of Moscow. By that time, the collection included 1287 paintings and 518 graphic works of the Russian school, 75 paintings and 8 drawings of the European school, 15 sculptures and a collection of icons. On August 15, 1893, the official opening of the museum took place under the name "Moscow City Gallery of Pavel and Sergei Mikhailovich Tretyakov."

The gallery has the richest collection of ancient Russian paintings of the 11th-17th centuries, created mainly in the Soviet era, including the "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev, works by Dionysius, Simon Ushakov. More than 60 icons were bequeathed to the Tretyakov Gallery, but the most mysterious of them is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

During the Great Patriotic War, the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery was evacuated to Novosibirsk: the exhibits occupied 17 carriages.

The most visited museum in the world - the Louvre (Paris, France)

1. The Louvre Museum in Paris is the largest, oldest and most famous museum in the capital

2. Originally built as a military fortress in the 13th century, the Louvre was the royal palace of King Philippe II of France for several years during the 16th century before becoming a museum in 1793.

3. The Louvre is a four-part building.

4. The heart of the Louvre is the well-known glass pyramid.

5. The Louvre houses some of the most famous works of art in the history of human civilization. The paintings housed in the Louvre have been collected by the French government for the last 500 years. Perhaps the world's best collections of Islamic, Greek and Assyrian cultures are stored in the Louvre.

6. The Louvre is impossible to get around in one day.

7. The Louvre was conceived as a place for the drawings and paintings of King Henry VI.

8. The most valuable exhibit of the Louvre is the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa.

9. In 1793 the Louvre was opened as a public museum.

ten . The Louvre has undergone several architectural metamorphoses in its lifetime. Built on the western outskirts of the city, the original fortress structure gradually became the center of Paris. The dark fortress first turned into a modest dwelling of King Francis I, and then became the luxurious palace of the Sun King, Louis XIV.

Museums are called institutions that collect, organize and store things of historical or cultural value. The first collections of valuables were private, but over time, state museum institutions appeared, which are public property.

Museums, as a rule, not only organize exhibitions of their exhibits, but also carry out serious research and educational work. Many museums create special projects for children and youth.

International Museum Day, celebrated annually, is a popular holiday, as on this day museums around the world offer visitors to view their exhibits for free.

Story

People began to think about the importance of museums in the cultural life of society only in the 20th century. In 1946, it was decided to establish a special organization - the Council of Museums (the English abbreviation of this organization is ICOM). The Council immediately included more than a hundred different countries, and later new members were admitted to it. Representatives of the USSR became members of the Council from the first day of its existence, and this is not surprising, since there are many truly unique museums in the country.

And it is with this organization that the history of the origin of the holiday is closely connected. During the passage of the eleventh general conference of the Council, on the initiative of the USSR delegation, a proposal was made to organize a world holiday. It must be said that this initiative was warmly approved, and the very next year after the conference (in 1978) the professional holiday was celebrated in 150 countries.

The purpose of organizing this wonderful holiday was the need to attract the attention of both governing bodies and the general public to the problems of preserving museum values, increasing the opportunities for ordinary people to get acquainted with the expositions.

To keep the public interested, museums have to keep up with the times and use various innovations. For example, interactive exhibits, the use of new communication technologies, etc., are of great interest to visitors.

With the development of the Internet, the museums of the world have become even more accessible. After all, virtual expositions have appeared, which you can view while being at home.

And when is this interesting and informative holiday celebrated? The annual celebration falls on May 18. Moreover, every year a certain theme is chosen for the celebration, which is approved at the ICOM meeting.

Traditions

Probably, few people do not know the answer to the question of how Museum Day is celebrated. People are already accustomed to the fact that on the day of the holiday, museums open their doors to visitors without requiring the purchase of tickets. Therefore, for many people, the date of the holiday is the day of cultural events. Of course, to get to the museum on a holiday, you have to stand in line, as the number of people who want to see the exposition on this day increases many times. In addition, on this day, many museums allow you to take photos and videos for free, so you can make memorable materials and visit interesting places.

Museum workers are seriously preparing for the holiday, organizing thematic exhibitions, inviting both venerable artists and young talents to exhibit their works.

A special program is necessarily organized for schoolchildren and students, because museums are also institutions that carry an educational load. The events held on this day are aimed at attracting the interest of young visitors, encouraging them to engage in independent study of history, culture, etc.

International Museum Day is widely celebrated in Russia. Of course, the largest and most interesting events take place in the capitals and major cultural centers. But even small museums located in small towns and villages are preparing for the holiday, thinking over a plan of events that will be of interest to visitors.

Night of Museums

For several years, in addition to the main holiday, a night has been held annually at the museum. This event was first held in Berlin, but over time, an interesting initiative was picked up by museums in other countries.

This is the only day of the year when museums invite their visitors at night. Of course, people are attracted not only by the unusual visiting time, but also by the special program. At this time, a wide variety of events are held in museums: concerts, video presentations, modern art projects. Museums of folk art and applied arts often organize master classes, so visitors can not only learn interesting facts about the exhibits, but also learn some craft.

In Russia, the first night in the museum was held in 2002, and the initiator was not a capital institution, but the Krasnoyarsk Museum Center. Over time, other museums of the country joined this interesting action.

There are many different museums in the world. Some of them are world famous, for example, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, etc. But there are quite a few collections that have not gained worldwide fame, but still arouse interest among visitors.

Many people think that only works of art and historical exhibits are presented in museums. In fact, there are the most unusual collections of rarities.

For example, in Massachusetts there is a museum that presents a collection of unsuccessful works of art. Of course, it is difficult to judge art unequivocally, but, nevertheless, there are works that are difficult to imagine in any other place, except as in the exposition of this particular museum.

People who have visited the unique museum of the human body can get acquainted with the device of their own body. In fact, this museum is an imitation of the human body, whose height is 35 meters. Visitors have the opportunity to examine different parts of the body, from the legs to the brain. The exposition is very realistic and is accompanied by sound and olfactory effects.

In one of the cities of South Korea there is a museum of teddy bears. Here you can see a wide variety of bears from miniature to giant.

A very curious museum operates in the German city of Kuritz. It is called the museum of lies, there is not a single genuine exhibit, they all deceive the visitor. Here are things that many have heard about, but no one has seen. For example, Van Gogh's auricle, which the artist cut off himself in a fit of madness, or such an unusual vehicle as an airplane carpet.

In the capital of Croatia, there is the Museum of Unrequited Love, which presents various exhibits related to unrequited feelings. Heartbreak pictures, valentines, romantic letters, etc. The museum was created so that people who have experienced unsuccessful relationships can find solace here and understand that they are far from alone.

So museums are very diverse, so on holidays and on weekdays it is worth allocating time to visit exhibitions. This will allow you to expand your horizons, see and learn a lot of interesting facts and join the universal culture.

International Museum Day "was born" in 1977. Since then, it has been customary to celebrate it on May 18th. Moreover, Russian museum workers proposed to officially introduce such a date. Of course, before 1977, the world's largest museums also celebrated their professional holiday, choosing for it every year different days timed to coincide with significant events. Then these cultural actions were called the Museum Crusade. The history of this holiday- Museum Day is as unique as the museums themselves and what they exhibit.

Now, under the auspices of ICOM (International Council of Museums), more than 150 countries celebrate this date. Note that it is important for advanced museum workers that people not only go to the “sanctuaries of culture” on this day, but also pay attention to the problems that museums around the world have to face. Thus, 1992 was included under the theme "Museum and the Environment".

And since 1997, ICOM has gone further by proposing to produce colorful posters, on which special slogans and brands are fixed, reflecting the theme of the current festive event. Such a step gives museum workers the opportunity to promote the stated problem more widely and to reach out to a wide variety of segments of the population, who, perhaps, did not take such issues seriously before.

For example, in 1997, such a unifying theme was the fight against the illegal movement of cultural property. It was this misfortune that was called “common” by museum workers, since it threatens the loss of unique creations not only for the Hermitage or the El Escorial: the museum workers are sure that illegal manipulations with masterpieces rob and lead to cultural collapse of the nation as a whole.

Therefore, in an effort to publicize the life and problems of museums, since the beginning of the 2000s, on May 18, a curious action has been held, known to most under the name “Night at the Museum”. What is the definition of this event Wikipedia : "Night of Museums is an international action, the main purpose of which is to show the resource, opportunities, potential of modern museums, to attract young people to museums.

The Night of Museums gives the population the opportunity to visit local museums free of charge, and most importantly, it helps cultural workers to attract a completely new audience - teenagers and young people. For what? It's just that "Night at the Museum" is always original actions, flash mobs, performances and master classes, devoid of the usual (for many boring) forms of communication. After all, during such a “night” you can not only view the expositions, but also literally touch it with your own hands or try to create a kind of rarity on your own. In addition, with the help of flash mobs and interactive games, museum guests learn so much new information - in an unobtrusive way! - that no lecture or excursion can compare with them.

Popular tradition of the holiday - "Night of Museums"

Naturally, the "nights" dedicated to the Day of Museums are subject to a single theme. For example, in 2009 it sounded like "Museums and Tourism". In 2010 - "Museums for Social Harmony", next year - "Museums and Memory". In the jubilee year 2012, when the International Museum Day turned 35 years old, such a topic was the broadly defined problem “Museums in a Changing World. New challenges, new inspiration. In 2013, museum workers were solving such a multi-component issue: "Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change."

What will ICOM offer us in 2014? In our opinion, a very interesting topic, designated as follows: "Museum collections unite." Whether this will be a simple move of expositions from one neighboring city to another, or whether museum workers will still find common ground between our everyday life and the “sublime existence” of artifacts is an interesting question. Most likely, cultural workers, as always, will find extraordinary answers to it. And not only this year, but also in all the following Days and “nights”, because museums are truly inexhaustible sources of unique information, art objects and uncomplicated memory of generations.

On May 18, museum workers celebrate their professional holiday. On this day, the world celebrates International Museum Day. Moreover, all those who at least once a week go to one of the museums, hoping to see a new exhibit, or maybe catch some new, interesting details in an already familiar thing, can also rightfully celebrate this holiday. And it does not matter at all which museum you are going to today: the Louvre, the Hermitage or the regional museum of local lore.

History of appearance

The decision on a new holiday appeared in 1977, after a meeting of the International Council of Museums, and what is most pleasant, the idea of ​​a new date belonged to Soviet workers. Thus, this is one of the few decisions of the USSR in those years, which was unanimously supported by all the members of the council, including the capitalist countries. Thus, the new holiday, Museum Day, began to be celebrated in more than 150 countries around the world.

The role of museums

According to the definition of the International Council, the main function of museums is to serve the interests of society and influence its harmonious development, educating people in the sense of beauty, transferring knowledge of the historical and cultural processes of the past. At the moment, there are tens of thousands of museums in the world of the most diverse subjects: from the museum of beer and vodka, to retro cars and space technology. The scatter of the exhibits presented is huge, because we should not forget that the population of the Earth has long exceeded 7 billion, which means that each person should find in the museum something that will interest only him.

official mottos

May 18 is the day of museums, which means that very soon we will find out what kind of motto the council of museums came up with for 2019. By tradition, every year passes under a certain message, for example, in previous years they advocated the fight against the illegal export of valuable museum exhibits, a few years ago they advocated increasing the role of museums in the cultural education of society, and so on.

Free admission

World Museum Day is not just a date, but also a real opportunity for everyone to view this or that collection for free. In any case, any self-respecting museum opens its doors on this day for free. This action is well known as museum night, so many museums not only let visitors in for free, but also work all night. But this action is not always held on May 18 and, as a rule, they open their doors on Saturday night, the closest to the International Museum Day. This is announced in advance, so that visitors do not miss the opportunity to spend the night in a particular museum, and maybe even give themselves a big night tour.