Museum

Welcome to our official webpage.

Сall of the times, impetuous changes in society are pushing the museum to review its work. The transitional period since independence and the adoption of the market economy have required the managerial staff of the museum to take steps which have no precedent in museums of our country.

The restructuring process has left the basic principles of the museum’s activities relating to storage, conservation and restoration, and cataloguing of the collections virtually intact. The principal changes occurred in the area of technology. Efforts are being made to replace the old equipment and to establish climatic control systems. The museum is also planning to establish a computerized database of the collection. The crowning achievement in this field is that the museum administration could persuade the government to begin construction of the museum complex consisting of 3 buildings (the exhibition block, storage building and administration building with permanent exhibition). The resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan  dated December 16, 2011 “About the beginning of construction of second stage of buildings of the Karakalpak State Museum of Art named after I.V.Savitsky  in Nukus city in 2012-2013” and the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated November 12, 2012  №1855 “About the Investment of 2nd stage of buildings of the Karakalpak State Museum of  Art named after I.V.Savitsky  in 2013” amounting  44,800 billion soums and on the base of them  on March 10, 2013 the construction of 2nd stage of buildings of the museum was started. The whole complex will be completed on December 31, 2016. )

The museum staff  have added to their conservation experience over the past decade thanks to increased contacts with previously inaccessible specialists from abroad. At present, the museum is applying techniques of textile conservation used in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the studio of Pierre Chevalier in Aubusson near Paris. No harmful substances were used in the museum conservation work.
In 2003, a joint project was launched with the international organization, Restorers without Frontiers. As a result, some fifty two artworks (on canvas and paper) of 1920-1930s from the museum stores were restored. An exhibition of the restored paintings will allow previously unseen masterpieces to be displayed to the public. Now the section of restoration (see “Restoration section”) is giving a new life to 30-40 paintings, 20-25 archaeological findings and 20-30 items of folk applied art every week.

Thanks to active work of the museum and its international popularity,   the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued resolution  dated December 16, 2011 “About the beginning of construction of second stage of buildings of the Karakalpak State Museum of Art named after I.V.Savitsky  in Nukus city in 2012-2013” and the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated November 12, 2012  №1855 “About the Investment of 2nd stage of buildings of the Karakalpak State Museum of  Art named after I.V.Savitsky  in 2013” amounting  44,800 billion soums and on the base of them  on March 10, 2013 the construction of 2nd stage of buildings of the museum was started. The whole complex will be completed on December 31, 2016.
The area under fundamental review at present is the museum’s finances. The Museum, like all state organizations, used to be fully financed by the government. The museum enjoys all the rights and benefits provided to the museums in the Republic of Uzbekistan by governmental documents.

Having been granted legal status, we looked carefully at the experience of museums in Europe and USA and a number of measures were taken to strengthen our financial independence. As our state developed and new structures appeared such as non-governmental and non-profit making organizations, we decided to use more flexible possibilities of this public sector. Having found supporters, we established a “Cultural Heritage” association under the museum. The implemented projects not only helped the museum but also many residents of Nukus city and even districts of Karakalpakstan. The museum has extended the range of its activities not only in the area of spirituality and enlightenment but also in gender development, and the revival and promotion of old forgotten handicrafts. Today Karakalpak embroidery and yurts have been introduced into fashion thanks mainly to the museum’s efforts. Unfortunately, at present, this activity is temporarily suspended.

It is recognized that the museum improves the welfare of craftsmen, the service sector of Karakalpakstan and neighbouring Khiva, not to mention travel agencies from Bukhara, Samarkand and even Tashkent. Year in, year out, more and more visitors from all over the world are interested in the museum.

The museum has attempted to introduce a Western model of selling membership through a “Friends of the Nukus Museum” society, which helps to maintain museum budgets very efficiently throughout the world. We are also introducing a system of bonuses for our patrons that include invitations to events, the addition of their names to a special board of honour displayed at the entrance to the exhibition, discounts in the museum shop and, of course, free admission to the museum.

As  regards to public relations, it should be noted that changes in ideology and the democratization of society, coupled with the transitional phase toward a market economy has necessitated a completely new principle of working with our audience.

Experience shows that the level of understanding of art of the presenters and the spectators can differ considerably. The museum is exploring new approaches. But the aim is not simply to cater to the lowest common denominator. The museum studies the opinion of its city residents, learns about the preferences of the public, and surveys people to find out what novelties they would like to see in our museum. All remarks and recommendations are taken into consideration, based on which new approaches for work with visitors are developed. Over the last decade the museum has come to be at the heart not only of the culture but also the active life of the republic. Not only traditional events, exhibitions, quizzes and museum night festival (“Museum at night”) are held but fashion shows, contests and so on.