Museum! How much meaning to this word! And the number of rarities contained there is amazing, as well as their cost. Some exhibits have no price at all, because they are preserved in a single copy for all of humanity! What is a museum? From a scientific point of view, it is a sociocultural institution where all kinds of monuments of art, science and technology, as well as history and other spheres of human activity are collected, studied, and stored. As a rule, many museums also engage in enlightenment, exhibiting their precious exhibits on public display.
Where did the museums come from?
It all started once with private collections (they still exist). What is a museum? In the ancient period, the subject of “collection” was mainly works of art. In the Middle Ages, icons, church ammunition, relics of saints were collected. And the first science museums appear in Europe (Renaissance). Minerals, research tools, and ethnographic objects predominate in them. The first public museum in Russia is, of course, the Kunstkamera! The collection of Peter the Great was taken as the basis of her collection: weapons, prints, paintings, sculptures of various peoples, as well as instruments, machines, tools, which the ruler was so interested in.
Classification and Functions
By and large, all the museums of the world are divided according to the profile type of human activity displayed in the exposition. So, there are historical, art, technical, literary, scientific, research institutions. There are mixed types of museums, and such are very common. For example, scientific and educational or historical and literary. There are museums attached to a particular area or a specific person. For example, the Aivazovsky Museum in Crimea. All of these institutions have certain functions related to education and upbringing, the formation of an aesthetic perception of the world, and the reflection of events that took place in society in their time. And also - with the organization of leisure, for example, schoolchildren or students. The level of development of "museum business" directly speaks of the cultural degree of development of the country and the people living in it. Because the way the population relates to their past — it preserves and honors it or oblivion — has always been a defining moment for the future of peoples and countries.
Collection and storage facility
What is a museum? Definition will be given by any dictionary or encyclopedia. In Greek, this is the "house of the Muses", that is, the room where the Muses live. Initially, this concept denoted the collection of objects of art. Later - and the place (building) where the exhibits are located. With the development of the Internet, virtual museums also appear, which exist only in electronic form. As well as excellent panoramas and excursions recorded on disks. Which, too, agree, is very convenient. After all, this record can be viewed without leaving home and without going anywhere! But nevertheless, speaking about what a museum is, we mean, first of all, an institution for collecting, storing and subsequently showing the public valuable exhibits.
In Europe
From the 18th century to this day, public expositions have been an integral part of the life of many countries. The first “on display” museum is the British in London (1753). In those days, to visit him, it was necessary to register in writing! In France, the Louvre (1793) was the first public institution for people who wanted to see exhibits displayed in flasks that could not be touched, as, indeed, now.
The most famous
1. The Louvre. Located in France. This is one of the most visited world museums, the third largest. Located on the banks of the Seine (right), in the very center of Paris. It is a French national museum. The most famous masterpieces stored there: "Mona Lisa" (painting by the great da Vinci), "Venus of Milos", "Nika of Samothrace" (ancient Greek sculptures).
2. Metro. To understand what a museum exposition is - real, magnificent - you need to visit this museum, located in New York. It is located in the park on Fifth Avenue. It was founded by a group of enthusiasts in 1870. Of the greatest artifacts exhibited there, there are artifacts of Egypt, figurines of Africa and the East, paintings by Monet and Leonardo.
3. The Hermitage. It is located in Russia and has a huge collection of exhibits, numbering up to three million works, cultural monuments. This sculpture, and painting, and objects of applied art, and a gallery of jewelry (pantries Golden and Diamond). In general, to understand what a museum is, it is necessary, at least once in a lifetime, to visit the Hermitage!
Of the so-called "adult museums" the most famous are Egyptian, British, Vatican Museum, National Gallery and some others.
What is a museum for children?
And among the most interesting children's institutions of this kind, the first place, perhaps, is occupied by the Steiger Toy Museum, which is located in the Czech Republic. It contains a unique collection for children, which has been collected for many years. Here, old Christmas-tree decorations, and tin soldiers, and toys are more modern. This institution is fully consistent with its task - the education of the younger generation through the study of history.
Another topic for children: the Charles Perrault Museum in France, where children are greeted by figures of fairy-tale characters from wax; the Astrid Lindgren Museum in Sweden, as well as the Moomin Museum and the Museum of Magic in England. All of them are beautiful in their own way, but there is one thing in common: the children do not want to leave there!