John Gallagher: It is wonderful that we found something that  resonates in the hearts of the people of Armenia

ArmInfo.This event is of utmost importance in the development of Armenian-British  cultural  relations. The United Kingdom Ambassador to Armenia, John Gallagher, said in an interview with the Public television of Armenia referring to the fact that today a bronze bust of the goddess Anahit (1st  century BC) was delivered to Armenia from the British Museum. 

<I realize how important the image of goddess Anahit is for all  Armenians, and I am really pleased that this collaboration between  the British Museum and the History Museum of Armenia made this event  possible in Yerevan. It is truly wonderful that the British Museum  has found new partners to share the treasures it holds. The museum  has over 5,000 exhibits from around the world and it is wonderful  that we have found something that resonates in the hearts of the  people of Armenia," he said. John Gallagher also expressed the  opinion that the exhibition of the statue will bring many tourists to  Armenia. The Ambassador noted that this is a valuable way to show the  richness of Armenian culture and will provide an opportunity for  Armenians to better appreciate the richness of their own culture. 

The exhibition marks a significant milestone in the history of  cultural exchange between the UK and Armenia. It builds on the close  cooperation established between the two museums last year with the  exhibition "Luxury and Power: From Persia to Greece", where the  History Museum of Armenia provided several exhibits to the British  Museum. Let us recall that in July of this year it was announced that  the Armenian government would allocate 15.7 million drams to organize  a joint exhibition with the British Museum this fall, featuring a  bronze bust of the goddess Anahit. The surviving elements of the  bronze statue of the goddess Anahit - the head and hands - will be  showcased in a large-scale exhibition "Our Lady: from Anahit to  Mariam", opening at the History Museum of Armenia on September 21,  2024. The exhibition will run until March 2025. The organizers are  the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the  Republic of Armenia, the Embassy of Armenia in the UK and the Embassy  of the United Kingdom in Armenia. The exhibition will feature the  History Museum of Armenia's collection related to the Mother of God,  spanning from ancient times to Christianity and up to the present  day.