State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan

The State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan is one of the largest museums in the Central Asian region and a unique repository of outstanding works of Eastern and Western European art. It was founded in 1918 on the basis of a small collection of 500 exhibits. These mainly consisted of Russian and Western European artworks—paintings, sculptures, artistic furniture, porcelain, bronze, and others.

Throughout the 20th century, as a result of collecting and scientific work, the museum’s collection grew to approximately 50,000 exhibits. It includes works of Uzbek art, art from foreign Eastern countries, as well as Russian and Western European art. Such a rich diversity and wide-ranging collection cannot be found in any other museum in Central Asia.

Today, museums as social and cultural institutions play a major role in the spiritual development of a nation. Recognizing their important educational and cultural significance, the government of the Republic adopted a number of key documents aimed at improving museum activities in the country.

In particular, in 1994 the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the resolution “On measures to improve and enhance museum activities,” and in 1998 the President of Uzbekistan, I. A. Karimov, issued the decree “On the radical improvement and development of museum activities.”

All conditions are being created to bring museums in Uzbekistan up to international standards. This includes architectural design, interior design, artistic arrangement of exhibitions, enrichment of collections, storage conditions, temperature control, museum equipment, and computer technologies.

Thanks to state support, during the years of independence a number of new museums meeting international requirements were built, while existing ones were reconstructed or renovated. The current building of the Museum of Arts was constructed in 1974.

Architects I. Abdullov, M. Rosenblyum, and A. Nikiforov designed it in a modernist style—as a fully glazed cube. Over time, the need arose for renovation and partial reconstruction of the building. Government funding was allocated, and in 1997 a major renovation began, which was successfully completed. Along with the renovation, necessary specialized equipment for storage and exhibitions was acquired, and all measures were taken to ensure the preservation and safety of the unique collections.

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