The exclusive international exhibition “Myths, Cults and Cosmology: Museum Island Berlin at the History Museum of Armenia” will open at the History Museum of Armenia on September 22. Organized to mark the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia and the 200th anniversary of Museum Island Berlin (Museumsinsel Berlin), the exhibition will serve as a significant platform for cultural dialogue, institutional memory, and the reinterpretation of the collections of two major museum institutions.

Ahead of the opening of the exhibition, a press conference was held today at the History Museum of Armenia. The speakers included ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Armenia Claudia Busch; Director of the History Museum of Armenia Davit Poghosyan; and Director of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of Berlin’s Museum Island Matthias Wemhoff.

Independence Day is marked by initiatives dedicated to cultural heritage

In her opening remarks, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan congratulated the attendees on the 35th anniversary of Armenia’s independence and noted that, for the third consecutive year, the occasion has also been marked by initiatives dedicated to cultural heritage.

“We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Armenia, and I believe that the chosen theme, which speaks to the enduring state, is more than symbolic. Having travelled a difficult path, we have firmly embarked on a course towards the continued strengthening and consolidation of our state. And this is also taking place through culture,” the Minister said.

As stated by Zhanna Andreasyan, it is particularly symbolic that the new exhibition, opening on Armenia’s Independence Day, is being organized within the framework of international cooperation, with the participation of renowned museums. Armenian cultural heritage is being presented in the broader context of global cultural heritage, while international exhibitions provide an opportunity to explore the connections, commonalities and interactions between different cultures, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the quality of museum activities in Armenia.

On the importance of the exhibition’s educational component

Zhanna Andreasyan placed particular emphasis on the educational component of the exhibition, expressing the hope that schoolchildren will actively visit the museum and that the knowledge they gain through the exhibition will also support their learning across different subjects.

“Such exhibitions are more than simply presentations of various artefacts. They become a means of transmitting knowledge and fostering understanding, as well as of connecting that knowledge with our everyday lives,” the Minister noted, emphasizing that the structure of the exhibition enables visitors to trace a journey from ancient times to the present day and explore how ideas from the past continue to resonate today.

Zhanna Andreasyan expressed her gratitude to the exhibition curators and the professional team for developing the concept and shaping a successful curatorial approach. She also highlighted the continued nature of Armenian-German cultural cooperation, recalling her visit to Berlin and the discussions held during preparations for the exhibition.

The Minister thanked the German partners, as well as the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Armenia, for their continued support and willingness to cooperate. It was also noted that the History Museum of Armenia will, in turn, present an exhibition at Berlin’s Museum Island.

Some items from the German collections are exhibited abroad for the first time

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Armenia Claudia Busch also congratulated the people of Armenia on the 35th anniversary of independence, emphasizing the significance of cooperation between Berlin’s renowned museums and the History Museum of Armenia.

According to the Ambassador, the exhibition presents humanity’s centuries-long quest to understand and make sense of the world, the land and one another, spanning from the Bronze Age to the 20th century, while also revealing the commonalities shared by different countries, cultures and historical periods. She particularly emphasized that some items from the German collections are being exhibited abroad for the first time. In Claudia Busch’s assessment, the exhibition is not only of significant scholarly and cultural value but also demonstrates the high level of Armenian-German relations and contemporary museum cooperation.

“This exhibition is part of our bilateral strategic partnership, aimed at strengthening in various fields, including cultural, educational and academic cooperation, promoting cultural exchanges and advancing mutual understanding,” Claudia Busch said, conveying, on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, her gratitude to all partners involved in organizing the exhibition.

Visitors will travel through different civilizations and different eras

Davit Poghosyan, Director of the History Museum of Armenia, also congratulated the attendees both on the 35th anniversary of independence and on the opening of the important exhibition.

“This exhibition will take our visitors through different civilizations and eras, creating a unique opportunity for dialogue. This is a very important partnership for us, which would have been impossible without the support of the state,” Davit Poghosyan noted.

According to Matthias Wemhoff, Director of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of Berlin’s Museum Island, this is the first time in the 200-year history of Berlin’s Museum Island that all six museums on the island have come together to collaborate and jointly present their exhibits at the History Museum of Armenia.

“It is symbolic that we are stepping beyond the boundaries of the island and presenting ourselves to the world. This is also an important step towards strengthening connections between people,” Matthias Wemhoff said.

50 exceptional exhibits from six museums on Berlin’s Museum Island

The exceptional international exhibition “Myths, Cults and Cosmology” will feature over 50 objects from six museums on Berlin’s Museum Island. The objects span a broad chronological period, from the ancient world through the Middle Ages and into the modern era.

For the first time, selected objects from the rich collections of the six museums of Berlin’s Museum Island and the History Museum of Armenia will be brought together in a single exhibition space.

The exhibition will feature ritual vessels, seals, jewellery, weapons and architectural ornaments discovered in Uruk, Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Iran, Greece, Armenia and Byzantium, as well as Italy, Germany and other countries. These objects preserve traces of cosmological and mythological imagery.

Among the key objects on display are bronze models of the “Solar System” dating to the 12th–11th centuries BC and belonging to the Early Iron Age. Notably, the Berlin examples of these objects are themselves being presented to the public for the first time.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the similarities and transformations in the cultural heritage, mythological thought and cosmological concepts of different civilizations.

The exhibition is organized through cooperation between the History Museum of Armenia and the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of Berlin’s Museum Island, with financial support from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Armenia.

The exhibition will be open to visitors until March 21, 2027.