Opening ceremony of the web-site that was created for support of the Information- Educational Center “Russian Museum: virtual branch”

On September 25, 2009 a presentation of the website of Museum Center, created with the support of UNESCO Bureau in Moscow, took place in the Assembly Hall of the Museum Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan within the “Russian Museum: A Virtual Branch” project.

URL: https://www.museumcenter.az.

The development of technologies in modern society has led to the new ways of information exchange, between the individual people and organizations, and countries, continents and cultures as well. About ten years ago, the Museum Center launched the introduction of computer technologies into its activities. Since the beginning of 2000s, a work on creation of multimedia materials for exhibitions and enterprises is being conducted. The information stall of Museum Center holds programs about activities and history of the Center. In 2008 the Information and Educational Center “Russian Museum: A Virtual Branch” was opened in the Museum Center, where the riches of Russian Museum became accessible for residents and guests of Baku by the means of modern technologies.

The result of accumulated computer programs, as well as of numerous printed issues and media, was embodied into the creation of the website of Museum Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic.

The partners of the website’s creation were the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, Moscow Bureau of UNESCO, State Russian Museum and the National Commission of Azerbaijan Republic for UNESCO affairs. The website’s creation was made by studio “Media-Design”.

The website contains a thorough info about the Informational and Educational Center “Russian Museum: A Virtual Branch”, the activities of Museum Center, and serves as an instrument of integration of Museum Center into single cultural and informational space and beyond.

The website has three language versions: Azeri, English and Russian and is open to a wider public. The website contains an immense amount of photo and video materials, while the modern means of multimedia preview made it accessible through internet. The website’s design is made in strict classical style.

The website has an enhanced search system. The website was already indexed by leading search engines.

The website’s content is made up from several blocks. It is necessary to emphasize the calendar of arranged events, which reflects a longstanding activity of Museum Center and features the upcoming events. The section dedicated to the Gallery of Arts, contains the works of modern Azeri artists: Arif Huseynov, Sara Manafova, Margarita Kerimova-Sokolova, Vugar Ali, Elshan Sarkhanoglu, Emin Askerov and others. There are also videos: interviews, reports and others. Head of Department of Cultural Policy of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Fikret Babayev delivered his speech at the opening ceremony.

The Executive Secretary of National Commission for UNESCO affairs in Baku Gunay Efendiyeva delivered a greeting on behalf of the Director of UNESCO Bureau in Moscow, Mr. Dendev Badarch.At the website presentation ceremony there took part: counselor of Embassy of Russian Federation in Azerbaijan Oleg Aleksandrovich Krokhin, head of the museum sector of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Azada Huseynova, director of Museum Center Liana Vezirova, president of European economic chamber of trade commerce and industry for Azerbaijan Nizami Piriyev, political figure Eldar Namazov, the representatives of the diplomatic corpus, cultural centers, business reps, companies and mass media.

Director of “Media-Design” studio Samir Gasimov held presentation of the website.