British Museum Newsletter features exhibition at YSU History Museum named after Professor Ludwig Gharibjanyan

In 2024, YSU History Museum hosted a research project-exhibition titled "The Role of Students in Liberal Culture of Post-Soviet Armenia." The initiative was organized in collaboration with Yerevan State University and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. It included five lectures (one of which was accompanied by a film screening) and a six-month exhibition.

The exhibition was held for the first time at YSU History Museum as part of an international grant. It stood out for its accessible, tactile spaces, including recreations of a 1960s café and living room corner, a display of hippie clothing, a bookshelf filled with banned and 'samizdat' books, and even a radio transmitter. Visitors were allowed to touch the exhibits, sit on the furniture, and take selfies. Through this immersive experience, museum visitors—especially students—became active participants in the exhibition. 

The British Museum covered YSU History Museum's first grant-funded and international collaborative initiative in its newsletter, which this year was published under the theme "Don't Forget to Touch." YSU History Museum's exhibition perfectly reflected this spirit. 

In her remarks, the museum director emphasized the crucial role museums play in promoting the harmonious and sustainable development of society. She noted that their upcoming strategic plans include ensuring accessibility of museum materials for everyone, including students with visual, motor, and other physical disabilities.

Thus, the museum will move beyond being merely a space for displaying artifacts, transforming instead into an effective platform for interactive education and research.

In contemporary museology, there is a growing trend toward creating a living connection between visitors and exhibited objects (for this purpose, original items are often replaced with replicas). YSU History Museum named after Professor Ludwig Gharibjanyan has sought to follow these developments, aligning its activities with the university's broader educational and research mission and contributing to the enhancement of its academic potential.

Looking back, in an interview with us, Tatevik Saroyan, Director of YSU History Museum, noted that she had applied to the British Museum's International Program back in 2022, where she was awarded a fellowship.

Upon assuming the role of museum director, Tatevik Saroyan decided to undertake an interesting professional initiative. The year 2024 marked the 64th anniversary of YSU History Museum named after Professor Ludwig Gharibjanyan—an occasion that inspired several new undertakings, including academic research, collection studies, a report exhibition, and notably, an application for an international grant.