Sixty museums of Armenia will take part in the "Night of Museums"

Today from 18:00 (17:00 Moscow time) till midnight (23:00 Moscow time) sixty museums of Armenia will receive visitors for free within the framework of the international action the "Night of Museums". This year the slogan of the "Night of Museums" the world over is "Museum and memory". 

In the republican Ministry of Culture we were told that the action in Armenia was going under the slogan "Written Heritage" before celebration of the 500th jubilee of appearance of the first printed book which will be celebrated in Armenia in 2012. In connection with this, exclusive samples of script will be exhibited. 

This year not only museums of Yerevan but regional museums, too, are participating in the action. Therefore, the total number of the participants of the program has increased. Last year forty museums from several regions of Armenia took part in the project the "Night of Museums", now there are already sixty all over the country, RIA "Novosti" reports. 

The "Night of Museums" started in Armenia on May, 14, in Gumri, the second biggest city of the republic where at the appointed time the house museum of Aslamazyan opened its door for the visitors for free. On that day from 18:00 till 24:00 the museums offered free visiting their unique expositions. Today they will be working in their everyday regime, but for free, too.

On May, 18, there will be a bonus program according to which during one's first visit everyone will receive a card for stamping and get new stamps on the card with each new visit. After the last visit one should cut the card in two and post it in a special box leaving one's initials. Holders of the greatest number of stamps will receive prizes and presents, "Novosti-Armenia" reports.

The "Night of Museums" is devoted to the International Museum Day which is celebrated since 1978 on decision of International Council of Museums. Traditionally, the action is held on May, 18, but it is frequently shifted to the weekend for convenience of the townsmen. Armenia joined the action since 2005. In 2009 on the "Night of Museums" 17 Yerevan and 6 regional museums in Sunika, Shiraka and Lori opened their doors for the visitors.