Within her visit to London, ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan visited the British Museum and met with Interim Director Mark Jones. During the meeting, issues related to organizing a joint international exhibition entitled “Mother Deity: from Anahit to Mariam” at the History Museum of Armenia in September were discussed.

Within the framework of the exhibition, according to the agreement signed with the British Museum, the History Museum of Armenia will exhibit the fragments preserved from the bronze statue of the Goddess Anahit (the head and the hand) dating back to the II-I century BC. They will be transferred to Armenia and for about 6 months, from September 21, 2024, to March 2025, will be on display with exclusive antiquities stored in the History Museum of Armenia as part of a large-scale exhibition entitled “Mother Deity: from Anahit to Mariam”.

The History Museum of Armenia previously collaborated with the British Museum and provided its collections for temporary use within the framework of various international exhibitions. However, exhibits of special significance to the Armenian people from this prestigious museum will be displayed in Armenia for the first time.

Zhanna Andreasyan also visited the National Library of Great Britain, where an exhibition dedicated to Armenian-British relations is planned to open next year.

Head of International Office of the British Library Marcie Hopkins, Manager of International Engagement Eleanor Cooper, Head of Asian and African Collections Louisa Mengoni and Head of the Middle Eastern and Central Asian Collections Michael Erdman attended the meeting.

The ESCS Minister, highlighting the significance of holding such exhibitions, underlined the possibility of parallel organization of lectures and other events both in Armenia and in Great Britain. Zhanna Andreasyan also expressed her willingness to support the organization of the exhibition, scheduled next year in the National Library of Great Britain, to be organized in Armenia as well.

During the meeting, ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan also emphasized the significance of inventorying, mapping, and generalizing the rich Armenian heritage preserved in the British Library - manuscripts, maps, and various other materials.