For the first time in the history of the country, two Georgian museums – Otar Lordkipanidze Vani Archaeological Museum of Georgian National Museum and Ilia Chavchavadze Literary-Memorial Museum of Tbilisi Museums Union – have been awarded in two categories within the European Museum of the Year Award.

On May 6, 2023, the winners of the EMYA – European Museum of the Year Award were announced by the jury of the European Museums Forum at the award ceremony, after the annual conference.

The Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement 2023 goes to Otar Lordkipanidze Vani Archaeological Museum of Georgian National Museum, Georgia. 

© European Museum Forum – Vani Archaeological Museum is “is a community-run museum with a powerful force for raising awareness of critical issues relating to society, culture, and education. Through its volunteer projects and programs, it actively engages the local community in safeguarding, preserving, and revitalizing the city’s archaeological site. The Otar Lordkipanidze Vani Archaeological Museum of Georgian National Museum offers a range of community programs that prioritize the involvement of younger audiences and disadvantaged groups. By embracing inclusivity and diversity, the museum creates a welcoming space that encourages dialogue and encourages visitors to connect with the city’s rich cultural heritage.

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The special commendation goes to Ilia Chavchavadze Literary-Memorial Museum of Tbilisi Museums Union. 

© European Museum Forum – “a museum that pays homage to one of the most prominent national figures of the 19th century, whose actions are celebrated as symbols of national freedom, liberation, and progress. In the spirit of this legacy, the museum invites its visitors to reflect on the historical struggles and draws inspiration from them to tackle the contemporary challenges of society”.

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On 3-5 May 2023, under the auspices of the European Museum Forum, the 46th EMYA Annual conference on “Democracy and Democratization: Urgent Challenges Today” was held at the Barcelona History Museum (MUHBA) in Spain, attended by over 250 delegates – museum and heritage professionals, EMYA 2023 nominees, representatives of previous years’ award-winning museums, Council of Europe delegates, Forum and Award partners and sponsors.

At the 2023 European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), thirty-three nominated museums from the eighteen member states of the Council of Europe were presented, from which twelve museums became winners:

• European Museum of the Year Award – L’Etno – Valencian Museum of Ethnology, Spain
• Council of Europe Museum Prize – Workers museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Kenneth Hudson Award for Institutional Courage and Professional Integrity – 23,5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory, Turkey
• Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement – Otar Lordkipanidze Vani Archaeology Museum of Georgian National Museum
• Portimão Museum Prize for Welcoming, Inclusion and Belonging – Chillida Leku, Spain
• Meyvaert Museum Prize for Environmental Sustainability – Swiss Museum of Agriculture, Switzerland
• Special commendation – Ilia Chavchavadze Literary Memorial Museum. Museum of the Tbilisi Museums Union, Georgia
• Special commendation – Thackray Museum of Medicine, United Kingdom
• Special commendation – Graz Museum Schlossberg, Austria
• Special commendation – FeliXart Museum, Belgium
• Special commendation – Abbey Church of Payerne, Switzerland
• Special commendation – Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, Netherlands

The European Museum Forum (EMF) and the European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA) work within an overall framework of a commitment to citizenship, democracy and human rights, to sustainability and to bridging cultures and social and political borders. The different awards within the EMYA scheme reflect, represent, and emphasize different aspects and dimensions of these values.
Awarded continuously since 1977, the EMYA award scheme responds to long term societal changes as well as current urgent social issues, and reflects the challenges, obligations and opportunities which museums face in the 21st century

Detailed information about the European Museum Forum and the European Museum of the Year Award scheme can be found at this link