The International Museum Day, established in 1977 on the initiative of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), is celebrated every year on May 18 with a certain theme. This year International Museum Day will focus on the theme Museums as Cultural Hubs: The Future of Tradition. Museums are not only traditional cultural centers – they are looking for new ways to protect and interpret their collections and create new museum traditions that will be substantial both for future generations and their target audience. Today, museums are turning into interactive centers, where visitors have the opportunity to become participants in innovative programs.
This significant day will be solemnly celebrated in our country within the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, and the Park Boulevard shopping center. Twelve museums of our country – Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture, Azerbaijan State Theater Museum, Azerbaijan Independence Museum, National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, Icheri Sheher Museum Center, Uzeyir Hajibeyli House Museum, Samad Vurgun House Museum, Bulbul House Museum, Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich House Museum, and Azerbaijan Customs History Museum – will unite under the motto Museums Visit Park Boulevard and present a variety of programs for visitors during three days (May 17–19).
The official opening of the event will take place on May 17 at 17.00 on the ground floor of the Park Boulevard shopping center. These days, the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum will hold master classes on weaving and interactive educational programs, and present a play Fairy Tale of Jirtdan for children; the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art – pantomime In Love with Art, the play of the shadows theater, master classes on drawing and a quiz; Icheri Sheher Museum Center will present an interactive henna ceremony, face art, games with costumed characters (backgammon with Baku Gagash, chess with Shirvanshahs’ Vizier), as well as a concert program performed by students of the Republican High School of Arts; the Azerbaijan State Museum of Musical Culture has prepared for the event a piano performance, as well as a concert program performed by the violin ensemble Detashe, the folklore ensemble Shirvan, and the ensemble of ancient musical instruments; Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich House Museum – a concert program of classical compositions; Samad Vurgun House Museum will show guests literary and musical performances based on the poet’s works; Uzeir Hajibeyli House Museum will present a scene from the operetta If Not That One, Then This One performed by schoolchildren; Bulbul House Museum – a concert program within the participation of students of the secondary music school named after Bulbul; and the Museum of Independence of Azerbaijan – a concert Art of Ashugs in Tradition by the Majlis Dirili Gurbani.
