Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2016 number

The purpose of the article is to show the role of museum associations in development and improvement of museums’ activities. Since the museums have opened their doors to the public, they have required public support: material, intellectual and spiritual. As a natural and integral part of our social environment, museums have developed together with the society, constantly expanding their functions. Being aware of the role of cultural heritage in ensuring sustainable development, the modern society increasingly complicates the tasks of the museum and actively participates in their solution. Public associations play an important role in social interaction with museums. The first non-governmental organizations, the so-called “Association of Museums” created solely for the support of museum institutions, appeared in the late XIX century in England, the USA, Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden and other countries. Public associations have greatly contributed to the improvement of various activities of museums, interaction of museum professionals with representatives of various spheres of activity interested in preservation of cultural heritage. Today the problem of public support for museum activities is of global character. A special place in the system of public support of museums is occupied by an authoritative public organization - the International Council of Museums (ICOM), created in 1946 within the structure of UNESCO. ICOM unites 35000 museums in 137 countries, 115 national committees, 31 International Committees, more than 30 thousand individual and collective members. The article focuses on the history and development of one of the structural units of ICOM - Committee for Museology (ICOFOM). Analysis of the Committee’s experience shows that the development of national museums is greatly enriched by the exchange of information, the study of international experience of museums. Intercultural dialogue contributes to the search for new forms and technologies of preservation of cultural heritage.