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On the 8th of June 2026 within the network of the “US Ambassadors' Fund for Preservation of Cultural Heritage” program, at the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan has begun a working visit of representatives of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, USA.
The Chief Conservator and Director of the Department of Conservation of Ancient Historical Values of the J. Paul Getty Museum from Los Angeles, Professor Susan Ganzike, Conservator Fabio Colombo, and Professor of 3D Research Methods and Technologies for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Joseph Salemi arrived on their regular official visit related to the project to preserve and restore fragments of the head of a Buddha statue dating back to the 5th century A.D., found in Ancient Merv. This official visit will last from the 7th up to the 20th of June 2026.
The American specialists used a special 3D printer to create a model of the Buddha's skull to strengthen the skull of the Buddha statue. Its size is exactly the same as the original head. The purpose of this visit of the specialists is to identify the missing parts of the head.
In the afternoon of the 9th of June high-ranking guests arrived to the State Museum: US Deputy Secretary of State Sarah Rogers, US Special Assistant of the Secretary of State Vanessa Vidal Castellanos, US Special Advisor to the Secretary of State Josef Gunnar Sidak, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Turkmenistan Elizabeth Rudd, as well as representatives of the Embassy. They visited the museum's laboratory where American specialists are carrying out restoration work. There, American specialist Susan Ganzike gave a detailed talk to the guests about the work being carried out on the restoration of the head of the Buddha statue by showing the head and the model of the statue. She also spoke about the importance of her work, the information and experience gathered in this work, and the impact it had on them. The guests listened with great interest and highly appreciated the work of the specialists. Susan Ganzike, on behalf of herself and her colleagues, expressed her gratitude to the American and Turkmen state leaders for creating such an opportunity. She also expressed her gratitude to the US Deputy Secretary of State for taking the time to come and showing interest in their work.