With only a casual glance at the collection, one might be mistaken for being at the Musee D'orsay for the colors and styles. Only upon closer inspection, do the very regional and edifying themes of the works reveal themselves. We enjoyed the museum very much, and only wished they had more of their collection on display. One building was completely closed. I later realized the admission fees to the museum is the highest in Uzbekistan, 50% higher than the next highest, the Samarkand Registan, an absolute crown jewel.
Nukus may have changed a lot in recent years. Although the guidebooks make it seem like a desolate place, we had a quick walk around town and it seemed like a perfectly liveable place.
In addition to paintings, the museum displayed some sculptures, textiles, and ceramics by regional artists.
The museum is known for its Russian avant-garde paintings; however only 20 or 30 were on display.
The Aral Sea, which borders Uzbekistan, is drying up. The museum had several rooms dedicated to the people, boats, and waters of the Aral Sea.
Uzbek artists painted the people and activities of the region; families, farming and the Silk Road.
The two paintings below by Islam Dhahsybaev are related, no?
After the museum, we strolled through the market, and across the river to the new mosque. The market was super busy. We spotted large bundles of cotton for sale.
From the market, it's a short walk across the river to the Muhammad Imam Iyshan Meshiti (Mosque). A young man insisted we let him take our photo. OK.
Then back to our hotel via a park with amusements and fast food.
For dinner, we found a busy corner restaurant with young uniformed English-speaking wait staff, and chowed into a couple of salads and a cheese pida.
1 comment:
What a great museum! Liz
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