Ubiquitously Uzbekistan – The Nukus Museum of Art
The Karakalpakstan State Museum of the Arts was named after Savitsky as the Savitsky Art Museum. Located in Nukus, which is the capital for the semiautonomous region of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Savitsky Art Museum is simply known as the Nukus Museum of Art. It is a crown jewel of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, although in a different way from the Chilpik Kala that we discussed in the last entry. The museum boasts being “the Louvre in the sands,” as having one of the largest collections of Russian Avant Garde and Central Asian applied art.
Having visited this museum, I would say it was slightly exaggerated to call it “the Louvre in the sands,” as its scale is not comparable to the Louvre. However, it does present a rich collection of interesting paintings in the Central Asian themes, and for that I was surely very thankful. We found it eye opening to see some of the works of Uzbekistan, created both by local artists and overseas (mostly Russian) artists.
About Igor Savitsky
Igor Vitalievich Savitsky (1915-1984) was the founder of the Nukus Museum of Art. His dedicated work in this region of Uzbekistan has both inspired him to create his own and enabled him to collect an enormous number of locally created artworks, which formed the foundation of this museum.
Igor Vitalievich Savitsky was part of the Khorezm Archaeological — Ethnographic Expedition of 1950, the work of which had resulted in the excavation of Khorezm era artefacts and the discovery of ancient fortresses in this part of Uzbekistan, as well as parts of modern-day Turkmenistan. This expedition was headed by the renowned Soviet scientist Sergei Tolstov. Igor Savistky served as an artist in this expedition. It was during this expedition that Igor Savitsky began collecting the works of art by local artists through his own independent study.
It was Igor Savitsky’s initiative to found the Nukus Museum of Art in 1966. During the Museum’s earlier years, it was the hub for relatively unknown artists to explore their creativity, especially in Avant Garde artworks. Because this part of Uzbekistan was off bounds to foreigners then, the Soviets left the museum alone. As such, a lot of the forward-thinking artists that were dubbed dissidents in the Soviet regime found refuge here in this art museum. Over the years, Savitsky has also kept his collection secret. It was only upon his death in 1984 that the well-preserved artworks of a whole Soviet era met the light of the day.
The Nukus Museum of Art thus stands tall in the history of Uzbekistan (and the former Soviet Union) as the stalwart for artistic expression. Its exhibitions speak amply to that historical role.
Some Exhibitions to Note
I was particularly drawn to the exhibition of both Russian and local artists showing their appreciation of the landscapes of Uzbekistan. Needless to say, there were a number of artworks that were inspired by the Aral Sea, which was once the very lifeline for the Karakalpakstan people. The exhibition The Memory of Water showcases the artworks of eight artists living in different times during the 20th century. On their canvas they find expressions of beauty as they were inspired by the Amu Darya River or the Aral Sea.
This exhibition was the perfect prelude to our visit of the Aral Sea itself in Muynak, where we would see the extreme desertification that had shrunk the sea surface to 1/10 its original size as compared to the 1960s. The paintings are the literal memories of the beauty and abundance that the Aral Sea once was.
The artwork that features Uzbekistan was very engaging, and they were the works of both Uzbek local artists and Russian artists, showing the myriad colors, textures and aspects of life in Uzbekistan.
I highly recommend a visit to the Nukus Museum of Art to see the artwork of this particular region in Uzbekistan. It is a rare chance to look into life in Karakalpakstan that had but altogether disappeared due to the desertification of the Aral Sea.
English descriptions are available at the Nukus Museum of Art throughout the exhibitions.
Sources
Advantour.com, Savitsky Art Museum, Nukus.
Visitworldheritage.com, Nukus Museum of Art.
Descriptions on site at the Nukus Museum of Art.
