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This museum's incredible collection of over 82,000 artworks has earned it the title "the Louvre of Uzbekistan".
© saiko3p/ Shutterstock

Nukus Museum of Art

This unique and valuable collection of Russian avant-garde artwork is the second largest collection of its kind in the world.

About a 30-40 minute drive from the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border is the Nukus Museum of Art, also known as The State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karapalkstan (and the Savitsky Museum). Igor Savitsky established the state museum in 1966 after convincing local authorities of the value of his extensive artefact collection. Savitsky alone is responsible for assembling the impressive avant-garde art collection, and it was no easy task.

An example of the unique artwork curated by Savitsky. Photo by Brian Ma
An example of the unique artwork curated by Savitsky. Photo by Brian Ma

Savitsky arrived in Karapalkstan in 1950 for the Khorezm Archaeological Expedition, a time when the Soviet authorities began banning and destroying avant-garde artwork. His collection was gathered in secret and even renamed in order to protect the artwork. It was not until after his death in 1984 that his collection was put on display. The collection is the second largest in the world totalling around 10,000 pieces of art. There are also thousands of other pieces of art, such as paintings, sketches and graphics by artists like Tarasov, Stavrovskiy and Ural Tanskykbaev.

Savitsky Museum interior. Photo by Brian Ma
Savitsky Museum interior. Photo by Brian Ma

It was of utmost importance to Savitsky to preserve the culture of the time through his art collection. Thanks to his efforts, the collection inspires countless artists and historians alike, and a generation of Russian culture has been saved. Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991 and the true significance of this collection was finally realised both locally and internationally. A stopover to the Nukus Museum of Art will provide a sense of fulfilment as you cross the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border.

Vibrant pieces among the collection. Photo by Brian Ma
Vibrant pieces among the collection. Photo by Brian Ma

Telephone: +998 61 222 2556

Visit

Nukus Museum of Art

Hours

Monday - Friday 9AM-1PM, & 2PM-5PM
Saturday - Sunday 10AM - 4PM

Pricing

Foreign Visitors - still photography 120,000 soums (about $11USD)
Video (per day) 350,000 soums (about $32USD)
Professional Filming: 1,000,000 soums/day (about $92USD/day)