International Museum Day (May 18) - history of the holiday and traditions

Home › Holidays

When it takes placeWho celebratesHistoryTraditionsInteresting facts

International Museum Day is an important event in the art world. 9 Greek goddesses, patrons of various kinds of arts and bearing the collective name “muses,” gave the name to the place where ancient values ​​are kept. “House of Muses” is exactly how the word “museum” is translated. These were originally storage areas for valuable items in ancient Greek temples. Not all items in a row, but those that the muses might like, i.e. related to art. Later, works of art were collected by antique lovers in their private collections. And then at the state level there was a need to preserve things from the past. This is how museums arose - institutions for storing, collecting and studying antiquities.

Story

After World War II, in 1946, about 100 states decided to create the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This is how an organization emerged that coordinates the work of museums around the world. In 1977, the 11th conference of the Council was held in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). It was then that the director of the Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkina proposed to establish a professional holiday. The proposal was accepted almost immediately. And since then, every year, on May 18, all countries of the world celebrate Museum Day. Moreover, each such holiday has its own theme. The topic is approved in advance and brought to the attention of the general public.

International Museum Day

Every year on May 18, museum workers from different countries celebrate their professional holiday - International Museum Day.

(International Museum Day). And, of course, all those who are looking forward to another trip to the local history museum of their city or meeting with rare exhibits of the Hermitage or Louvre are also involved in today's holiday.

It appeared on the calendar in 1977, when at the next meeting of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) the Russian organization’s proposal to establish this cultural holiday was adopted. Since 1978, International Museum Day has been celebrated in more than 150 countries.

According to ICOM, museums are institutions in the service of society and its development. And ICOM itself, created in 1946, is a global organization representing museums and museum professionals. Its activities are aimed at protecting and popularizing natural and cultural heritage - past and future, tangible and intangible. Today, the members of this organization are 40 thousand members from more than 140 countries.

According to Jacques Perot, ex-president of ICOM, “museums must take a place at the heart of society and be open to the public. The development of our institutions depends to a large extent on the assistance of the public, and we must offer them the opportunity to support our goals and participate in our work. It is therefore necessary for museums and society to work together in a spirit of creativity and innovation.”

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

National Gallery, London (Photo: jan kranendonk, Shutterstock)

Every year, since 1992, the holiday has its own specific theme dedicated to issues of museum activity, for example, such as the illegal export of museum valuables, the role of museums in improving the culture of society and many others. Thus, among the themes of the last decade were the slogans: “Museums and tourism”, “Museums in the name of social harmony”, “Museums and Memory”, “Museums in a changing world. New challenges, new inspiration”, “Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social change”, “Museum collections unite”, “Museums and sustainable development of society”, “Museums and cultural landscapes”, “Museums and controversial history: talking about the complex in museums”, “Museums in the era of hypercommunication: new approaches, new audiences”, “Museums as cultural centers: the future of tradition”, “Museum as a space of equal opportunities: diversity and inclusion”.

2020 was unlike any previous year. The Covid-19 crisis has affected the entire world and affected every aspect of society. Museums were no exception: culture was affected by the crisis more than many other areas. Research conducted by ICOM and other international organizations shows a dire situation for museums and museum professionals due to the economic, social and psychological consequences of the pandemic, both in the short and long term. But at the same time, this crisis also served as a catalyst for the most important innovations, which until that time were in the development stage. This especially concerns the use of digital technologies, the creation and dissemination of new forms of cultural experience. Therefore, the theme of Museum Day 2021 was: “The Future of Museums: Restoration and Renewal.”

On the holiday itself, many museums in different countries of the world open their doors to everyone completely free of charge, preparing new exhibitions, thematic lectures, excursions, and scientific readings. Currently, more than 20,000 museums around the world celebrate this holiday.

This important cultural event is often accompanied by thematic festivals, the most famous of which is the “Night of Museums,” which has become very popular in recent years. It is held in many cities around the world, usually on the night from Saturday to Sunday closest to May 18th.

Celebrations can last one day, a weekend or a whole week. The main thing is that their essence corresponds to the principle: “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, the enrichment of cultures and the development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace between people”

.

Traditions

Although the holiday is not very old, it has already acquired interesting traditions.

Holding awards for the best workers, seminars, exhibitions, lectures, and excursions on this day is a standard set for such holidays. But museums also have other traditions that their visitors really like.

So, on the day, most museums around the world allow visitors to visit them absolutely free of charge. A very nice tradition. The public also really likes the “Night at the Museum” event. They came up with such an action in Berlin in 1997. On this night, most museums do not close until the morning, and night visitors are offered quests, games, and quizzes related to museum topics. For the convenience of visitors, such a promotion is usually held not on the holiday itself, but on the Saturday closest to it.

Celebration traditions

“Cultural” workers begin to celebrate their holiday long before the solemn date. Usually they prepare in advance for the special date:

• colorful booklets and guides;
• sets of postcards with photographs of the most interesting exhibits;
• unusual souvenirs;
• children's literature dedicated to the main museum values.

On May 18, the festive events begin with excursions around the exhibitions. In the afternoon there are openings of art exhibitions and presentations of new projects. The events continue until 23:00. Statistics say that in the evening the number of people wishing to “plunge into culture” always increases.

This is interesting! In honor of the holiday, exciting quizzes are often held for children and teenagers. To find the answer to the quest questions, participants must independently explore the exhibition, find the required exhibit and become familiar with its history. Such competitions stimulate the interest of the younger generation in history.

Interesting Facts

• A traditional museum is a place where paintings hang and various household items are collected. But there are also very unusual museums - such as the Spoon Museum in the USA, the Water Museum in Kharkov, the Museum of Lies in Germany, the Bread Museum in St. Petersburg or the Goat Museum in Tver.
• The most visited museum in the world is the Louvre (in Paris). More than eight million people admire its exhibits every year.
• In Russia, the beginning of the museum tradition was laid by Peter I. It was on his order that the Kunstkamera, a repository of rarities, was opened. To attract visitors there, Kunstkamera workers were required to feed those who came in with soup.
• The smallest museum in the world is located in the hollow of an oak tree, and it is located in Lithuania.
• And to walk through the halls of the Hermitage (St. Petersburg) you need to walk 24 kilometers.
• There is a sewer museum in Paris. It was opened in 1800 and today there are many different exhibits there.
• The oldest museum in the world is located in Rome. It was created back in 1471.
• At the bottom of the Caribbean Sea is the Silent Evolution Museum. To visit it, you need to wear scuba gear instead of shoe covers.
• There are currently 365 museums in Moscow, and only 173 in London.
• The most visited museum in Russia is the Hermitage. More than 4 million people visit its exhibitions every year.

Congratulations in verse and prose

Dear museum staff! Please accept my most sincere wishes to never grow old, just as the exhibits that you watch vigilantly do not age. More serious, thoughtful visitors and rich sponsors for you!

***

Dear museum workers! You are entrusted with a serious mission - the protection of world cultural heritage. Please accept good luck in this difficult task. May success always accompany you! I would like to wish you new discoveries and frequent replenishment of funds.

***

On International Museum Day, I would like to wish everyone, without exception, great interest in history, art, life and traditions. May the museums never be empty, may every trip to this amazing place give you a lot of impressions, positive emotions, exciting adventures and important discoveries.

***

They keep relics and secrets, History and craftsmanship, Humans need museums, After all, there is a lot of everything in them. On International Museum Day, we wish the Guardians to take care of everything that was collected, And to lead us from darkness to the light!

***

Happy Museum Day, I congratulate you today from the bottom of my heart, May the order in the halls be invariably impeccable.

Let there always be a huge flow of Visitors, Let the Exhibitions be relevant forever.

***

So many different exhibits, Historical things are carefully placed in every current museum.

Let visitors always flow into the museum like a river, Where the sea of ​​the best emotions and cool facts await!

***

We would like to wish in our fast-paced age that Museums do not give up their positions, May there be many visitors in the halls and new interesting exhibitions!

***

To the creators of amazing museum exhibitions, to all those who are involved in preserving heritage, to experienced guides, experts and caretakers, we wish you great happiness from the bottom of our hearts on this holiday!

Interesting things about museums

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 also quite a few collections that have not received worldwide fame, but still arouse interest among visitors.

Many people believe that museums only display works of art and historical artifacts. In fact, there are the most unusual collections of rarities.

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

People who visit the unique museum of the human body can get acquainted with the structure 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 exhibition is very realistic and is accompanied by sound and olfactory effects.

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

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

In the capital of Croatia, the Museum of Unrequited Love is located; various exhibits related to unrequited feelings are presented here. Pictures of a broken heart, 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 there are a wide variety of museums, so it’s worth setting aside time to visit exhibitions both on holidays and on weekdays. This will allow you to broaden your horizons, see and learn a lot of interesting facts and join the universal culture.