Every year, May 18 is celebrated as International Museum Day in the world.

Established by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to promote cultural exchange and cooperation between nations, this holiday is held under a different motto every year.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) was founded in 1946. ICOM is a worldwide organization representing museums and museum professionals committed to protecting and promoting the tangible and intangible, natural and cultural heritage of the past and future. ICOM includes more than 45,000 members from 138 countries.
     
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society.

Since 1978, the holiday has been celebrated annually in more than 150 countries around the world. On this day, museums announce "Open Doors". Entrance to the museum is free so that everyone can visit the exhibitions.
  
The establishment of museums in Azerbaijan started in the early 20th century. In 1919, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the establishment of the parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Independence Museum, which was organized in the parliament building, operated for only a few months. After the fall of the ADR, the museum stopped its operation.
 
During the period of Soviet Azerbaijan, the first museum named "Museum of Native Land Study" was established in 1920 in Baku, and the first memorial museum was founded in 1938 in Sheki. Although the valuable exhibits of Azerbaijan enriched the museums of Russia, Europe, including Great Britain before the establishment of our national museums, today our state museums house a display of our artefacts. The Museum Fund in Azerbaijan is based on works of art confiscated from millionaires of the country during the first years of Soviet rule. Valuable works of art belonging to H.Z. Taghiyev, M. Mukhtarov, M. Nagiyev and other Baku millionaires were the exhibits of our first museum. Since the 1930s, museums of various kinds have been established one after another - state, memorial, mobile, literature, art, history, music, nature reserves, theater museums.  Among these museums, there are house museums of well-known figures Nariman Narimanov, Mammad Said Ordubadi, Jafar Jabbarli, Jalil Mammadguluzade and others.

Like many fields in Azerbaijan, the development of museum work and museology also coincides with the period after the National leader Heydar Aliyev came to the leadership of Azerbaijan. Until 1969, there were 29 museums in our country, but during the years of leadership of the National leader in the republic during the Soviet period, 111 museums of different types were established. In the 70s and 80s of the last century, the great leader made important decisions that ensured the implementation of necessary measures towards the formation of new museums in Azerbaijan, strengthening their base, enrichment of museum funds and holding expositions in the modern way.  In accordance with these measures, institutions such as the Azerbaijan Museums Administration, the Republican Scientific-Methodical Center for Museum Work, the Institution of Artistic Composition of Museums, the Center for the Scientific Restoration of Museum Treasures and Souvenirs were founded and started to operate in our country. In a short period of time, museums of regional studies were established in about 60 regions of Azerbaijan.

In the 1990s, the situation in this field was not encouraging at all. The socio-political tension, chaos and anarchy in Azerbaijan have had a negative impact on museum activity, as well as in other spheres. Only in 1993, after the national leader Heydar Aliyev's returned to the leadership at the people’s insistence, the museum activity entered a new stage of its development along with other areas.

Unfortunately, our historical monuments and museums, which were under occupation for many years, were looted and destroyed by the Armenian invaders in the 1990s.

There were 8 museums in Shusha – the city that was a living museum and was liberated from the enemy today. The State Museum of Karabakh History, the house museum of the genius composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the memorial museum of the founder of our vocal art Bulbul, the memorial museums of the outstanding musician and artist Mir Mohsun Navvab, the Shusha branch of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, the memorial museum of the prominent musician Gurban Pirimov in Aghdam region, museums of regional studies of Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Khojaly regions were completely looted. The Aghdam Bread Museum, the only one of its kind in the former USSR, was razed to the ground by the Armenians.
 
The priorities set by the national leader for the development of museum activity are successfully continued today by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

The establishment of the Oil Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Sports and the Olympic Movement with the relevant decrees and orders signed by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is the supreme manifestation of the due consideration.

The "Special Action Plan for the renovation of museums operating in the regions of Azerbaijan in accordance with modern standards, provision of new equipment and necessary exhibits", approved by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated May 22, 2009, opens new opportunities for the development of museum activity in our country, as well as is of particular importance in defining its further development strategy.

Thanks to the great efforts of Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, "The Shirvanshahs’ Palace Complex", Maiden Tower and Gobustan National Historical-Artistic Reserve, "The Historic Centre of Sheki and the Khan’s Palace" were inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Within the framework of various projects implemented by the Foundation, information about Karabakh museums is brought to the attention of the international organizations.
    
As a result of the successful cultural policy of the Azerbaijan state, our museums have promoted relations with the best museums of the world and new achievements have been made in the international cooperation in recent years.
 

Recommended literature:

1. Bakı muzeyləri = Muzeums of Baku / Azərbaycan Respublikası Mədəniyyət Nazirliyi, Beynəlxalq Muzeylər Şurasının Azərbaycan Milli Komitəsi ; tərt. R. S. Tağıyeva [et al.]. - Bakı : [n. y.], 2006. - 123 s.
2. Muzeylər və mədəni irs : Milli Azərbaycan Tarix Muzeyin 90 illiyinə həsr olunmuş beynəlxalq konfransın materialları = Museums and cultural heritage : materials of international conference devoted to the 90-years yubilee of National History Museum of Azerbaijan = Музеи и культурное наследие : материалы Международной конференции, посвященной 90-летию Национального Музея Истории Азербайджана / Ə. Q. Cəfərov [et al.] ; tərt. F. R. Cabbarov ; məsul red. N. M. Vəlixanlı ; Azərbaycan Milli Elmlər Akademiyası, Milli Azərbaycan Tarixi Müzeyi. - Bakı : Ziya, 2010. - 270 s.
3. XXI əsrin muzeyi : problemlər, perspektivlər / Beynəlxalq Muzeylər Şurasının Azərbaycan Milli Komitəsi ; tərt. R. S. Tağıyeva ; layihənin rəh. Ə. M. Qarayev ; məsl. S. Y. Məmmədəliyeva. - Bakı : n. y., 2007. - 59 s.
4. Бахшиева, Айтен Тофик кызы. Из истории музейного дела в Азербайджане : на материалах Музея Истории Азербайджана / А. Т. Бахшиева ; ред. Т. А. Мусаева. - Баку : Элм, 2005. - 152 с.