Theexhibition“ArtistandTheater”openedinNukus.Theexhibitionbringstogethernearly100artworksbyRussianandUzbekartistsfromtheSavitskyCollection.Ithighlightsworksofthe1920­1930sintheartofsetdesignandscenographywithworksfromwell­knownandfrequentlyexhibitedartistssuchasMikhailKurzin,ElenaKorovay,VictorUfimtsev,M.Sokolov,A.SardanVasilyShukhaev,UralTansykbaev.TheexhibitionwillalsoshowworksbyR.Raspopov,M.Akselrod,A.Telingater,D.UshakovandV.Basovforthefirsttime.M.Babanazarova,V.SychevaandV.Kimwhoco­curatedtheexhibitionsaidattheopeningceremony,­"Weareverypleasedtobeputtingonthisexhibition,inwhichanumberofmajorartistsareondisplayinadifferentwaythough.Thetheaterandscenographywasanimportant

A:OfcoursethehighlightistheSavitskyMuseum'scollection.Developingeducationalprogrammingandexcursionstoseetheshipsinthedesert(whichMIRalreadydoes)appealstosometravelers.AreasonablecostforasightseeingflyoveroftheshrinkingAralSeacouldappealtosome.Theyurtcampsintheareaneedbetterinfrastructuretobemoreappealingtothemid/highendtraveler–thencamelridesandexplorationofthedesertcitadelsintheregioncouldbeattractive.Addingsomegoodreststops­withgoodcleantoiletfacilities­wouldhelptopromotelongerstays.Q:Whataresomepolicychanges/improvementsthatgovernmentscanmaketoincreasetourism?A:Internationalairaccessandvisarestrictionsarealwaysthetoptwoelementsthatimpactacountry'sabilitytogrowitstourismarrivals.Movingtoanelectronicvisa(asmanyothercountrieshaverecentlydoneincludingTurkeyandArmenia),orabolishingthevisarequirementsaltogetherasmanyothershavedone(includingKyrgyzstan,Ukraine,Moldova,theBaltics,Georgia)wouldcertainlyhelpmakethedestinationmoreattractive.AllowingmoreinternationalaircarrierstolandatTashkentwouldmakeforgreatercompetitionoffaresintotheregion,whichwouldhelpbringdownprices.HighseasonairfarefromtheU.S.toUzbekistanisusually$2000.ThisisconsiderablymoreexpensivethananyEuropeandestination.Planningmajorculturalfestivalsonsetdatesannuallysothatforeigntouroperatorscanplaninadvanceformarketingpurposeswethinkwouldgiveagreatboosttotourismaswell.AgoodexamplewouldbeMongolia'sNaadamFestival,heldannuallyonJuly11­12,itneverchangesdatesandtheeventisnevercancelled.Asaresult,it'sthemostpopulareventintheentirecalendaryear.

TobetterpublicizethetouristpotentialofKarakalpakstan,KKPnowhasitsveryownposteratbothNukusandTashkentairports.

MinisterO.Kurbanov,KKP'sMinisterforForeignEconomicRelations,said,"WhileweareproudofourgreatSilkRoadcitiesofSamarkand,BukharaandKhiva,aswellasthemanypossibilitiesinTashkentfortourism,weareequallypleasedtoseesomeofKarakalpakstan'stourismpossibilitiesdisplayedfornotonlyincomingtouriststotheRepublic,butalsothosewhentheyareflyingoutofTashkent."ThepostersarebasedonKarakalpakstan'sfirsttourismposter(nowonsaleattheSavitskyCollection,seeSpring2013newsletter)andincludesimagesofarchaeology,theAralSeaandofcoursethearts,are2x1.5meters.

MIRagencysharesthoughtsonimprovingtourism

SavitskyCollection'sMrs.BabanazarovareceivesFrance'shighesthonour

TheFrenchAmbassadorinUzbekistanawardedtheSavitskyCollection'Director,Mrs.MarinikaBabanazarovawiththeChevalierdel'OrdredesArtsetdesLettres­“Forservicesinthefieldofartandliterature”.France'sAmbassadortoUzbekistanMr.FrancoisGauthierbestowedtheordertoMrs.BabanazarovaduringthecelebrationofFrance'sNationalHolidayon14July.AmbassadorGauthierstatedthatMrs.Babanazarovaembodiesmanyofthevalues,whicharehighlyratedinFranceandUzbekistan,suchasrespectforculturalidentityandcare,protectionandpromotionofnationalheritage.AmbassadorGauthiercongratulatedMrs.Babanazarovaforhernearly30yearsofserviceattheCollection."DuetotheeffortsofMrs.Babanazarova,manyFrenchpeoplehavevisitedtheMuseum."

“ArtistandTheatre”exhibition

partofthesocio­politicalaspectsoflifeinthe1920sand1930s.Theseworkshaverichcolor,decorativefantasyandshowamasterythatisquiteimpressive.”

KarakalpakstangainsapresenceinNukusandTashkentAirports

Q:HowmuchhasMIRgrownsincethebreakupoftheformerSovietUnion?A:Tremendouslyinallsortsofways.Withrelaxedrestrictionsontraveltothesedestinationsprivatetravelforindividualsbecamemuchmorefeasible.Inaddition,welaunchedourownseriesofescortedsmallgrouptourscrisscrossingtheentireregionthatpeoplecanjoin,tomakemoreinroadsintoallcornersoftheformerSovietUnion.OurterritorynowstretchesfromTibettoThehran.Q:Howhastourismchangedsincethattime?Aretheredifferentproductscomingonthemarket(i.e.Festivals,WorldHeritageSites,thematic,etc.)A:Astheinfrastructurehasimprovedintheseregions,tourismhasnaturallyexpanded.ButsomeofthedestinationsoftheformerSovietUnionremainchallengingdestinationsduetovisarequirements,risingcostsandbureaucracysometimeswhichisstillaholdoveritseemsfromSoviettimes.Butthingsaredefinitelyimprovingandnowtheyarebeginningtochangemorerapidly.Therearefestivalsbutmanyofthemarenotorganizedfarenoughinadvancetomarketeffectivelytoaninternationalcrowd(simplynotenoughleadtime).Ourhopeisthatwillchangeastourismtakesamorecenterstageeconomically.Q:Howimportantistourismforacountry'seconomy,suchasUzbekistan?A:Itisbecomingmoreimportantallthetime.UzbekistanhasthatwonderfulblendofSilkRoadheritagethatmakesitatrulyworthydestinationforanytravelerinterestedincultureandhistory–itsuitsabroadaudience.Thecolorfulbazaars,traditionaldressstillwornbylocals,theincrediblearchitecturewithUNESCOWorldHeritagesitestatus,andarchaeologicalattractions,nottomentiontheart:silk,ceramicsandofcoursetheincredibleSavitskyMuseumtreasuretrove!Uzbekistan'stourismisgrowingquicklyandwehopetheinfrastructurewillcatchupsoontoo–butatthesametime,hopethatthemodernizationwon'tdisplacesomeofthetraditionalelementswhichmakethesedestinationsoveryspecial.Q:WhatisthetouristichighlightforKarakalpakstan?Whichsitecouldbefurtherimproved/nurtured?

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Visit www.karakalpakstan.org for more information about traveling around Karakalpakstan!

Fall 2013

Karakalpakstan

NEWSECTION!Onepainter’sstory

PublishedbyTheKarakalpakstanStateMuseumofArtnamedafterI.V.Savitsky

Fall 2013

Mr.DouglasGrimes,PresidentandfounderofMIRCorporation,createdtheSeattle,Washington-basedtravelcompanyaftervisitingtheSovietUnioninthemid-1980s.Hehasmadeover100tripstotheformerSovietUnionandotherdestinationsalongtheSilkRoad.

A“portraitgallery”ofKhorezm'skingsdiscoveredonthesiteoftheancientsettlementofAkshakhan-Kalahascreatedamajorsplashinthearchaeologicalworld.Scholarsdatethemuralstotheendofthe2ndcenturyBCtothebeginningofthe1stcenturyAD.Inthatcase,thesefrescoesarethenolderthansimilarexamplesfromAfrosiab(7thcenturyAD),Varakhsha(5th-8thcenturiesAD),Pendjikent(5th-8thcenturiesAD),andevenToprak-Kala(3rdcenturyAD).

BeforethearcheologicalexplorationoftheKhorezmmonumentsbegan,informationaboutthepre­IslamickingsofKhorezmwasscant.AncientauthorssuchasArrianusandStrabomentionedFarasman,theKingofKhorezm,intheirchroniclesonoccasion.TheKingallegedlyvisitedAlexandertheGreat'sheadquartersinBaktra(nowBalkh,Afghanistan),andofferedtoleadAlexander'sarmiesagainsthisownenemies,suchastheAmhazonsandColchis.

Theso­called“recordofBiruni”isanotherrepositoryofknowledgeaboutthekingsofKhorezm.Althoughhegivestherulers'names,thefamousBiruninevermentionstheyearsoftheirrule.

WhenarcheologistsbegantoexcavatethecitiesandsettlementsofancientKhorezm,theyfoundmanydifferentcoins.AnalysisshowedthatKhorezmhadhadasuccessionofatleasttwodynastiesfromthe2ndcenturyBCuntilthe4thcenturyAD.Inthe2ndcenturyBC,CentralAsiawasinvadedbynumerousnomadictribesknownastheYuezhitribes.ManycitiesandsettlementswereburnedtoashesduringthesetimesandtheGreco­BactrianKingdomwascompletelydestroyed.

Khorezmwasalsoinvolvedinawhirlofevents.Archeologistsdiscoveredtracesoffiresandthedestructionofmanyarcheologicalmonumentsofthetime.ButthemainthingwasthatthenewYuezhidynastyascendedthethroneofKhorezm.Thenewrulersbeganmintingtheirowncoinswiththetribaltamga(stamp).

AsfortheprecedinghistoryofKhorezm,scholarslooktoBiruniforassistance.Hisrecordswerebasedonhistoricallegends,whichwerewidelycurrentamongKhorezmians.AccordingtoBiruni,thelandwasfirstcolonizedin1292BC,almost1000yearsbeforeAlexandertheGreat.Thescholarreportsaboutthearrivalof“Siyavush,thesonofKayCavus,andtheestablishmentofKayKhusrawandtheprogenyonthethrone

there.”

ProfessorS.P.Tolstov(1907­1976),afamousexpertinthehistory,archeologyandethnographyofCentralAsiaandfounderofthearcheologicalandethnographicexpeditioninKhorezm(inwhichayoungIgorSavitskyparticipatedasasketcher),assumedBiruni'saccounttohavebeenanechooftherealmigrationsofancientIraniantribesfromtheBronzeAgetotheAmu­Daryadelta.However,currentlyavailablearcheologicalfindingsprovesuchmigrationsfromthelandsofancientBactriaandMargianahappenedmuchlater,inthe8thto7thcenturiesBC.Beforeseriousarcheologicalexplorationofthe

Akshakhan­Kalasite(Kazakly­Yatkan­Kala),archeologistsvandhistorianslackedthefactsneededtocorroborateBiruni'schronologyabouttheSiyavushids'arrivalinKhorezmandtheaccessionofthefirstKhorezmShahstothethrone.

TheSavitskyCollectionhasmovedagreatnumberofpeople.Manyhaveseennewspaperarticles,TVreportsorthedocumentaryfilm"TheDesertofForbiddenArt"andhaveflowntoUzbekistanjusttoseetheMuseum.SimilartothesededicatedgroupsofpeopleisthecoupleMrandMrs.ChristosandShirinChorosis,whorecentlymarriedinGreece.BothofthemweresomovedbytheMuseum,itscontentsanditscurrentstatus,thattheydecidedtoforgoweddingpresents,urgingtheirfriendsandfamilytomakeadonationtotheFriendsofNukusMuseum.

Onepainter’sstory-ViktorUfimtsev

Bornin1899,Barneevka(SouthUralregion),ViktorUfimtsevstudiedatOmsk'sCommercialCollegeuntil1918,whenhewascalledupformilitaryserviceandfoughtintheranksoftheWhiteandRedArmies.DiscoveredandencouragedbyDavidBurlyuk(UkrainianFuturist,bookillustrator,publicist,oftendescribedas"thefatherofRussianFuturism")whowasholdingartperformancesinOmskatthetime,Ufimtsev,withN.A.MamontovandShabl­Tabulevichcreatedthefuturistgroup"ChervonnayaTroika"(TheThreeofHearts,1921­22).In1923UfimtsevandMamontovleftforTurkestan–«somewherewheretherewouldbenophilistinestagnation,somewherewhereisnoapathy,onlyknotsofnerves,creatingfuturism».ThistripbecameaturningpointforUfimtsev'sart.HefellinlovewithMiddleAsia,bothtouchedandinspiredbyeasterncolorsandAsianauthenticity,whichwerepresentinhisfuturepaintings.UfimtsevlivedfortwoyearsinTashkent,Samarkand,andBukharaandduringthistimebefriendedA.N.Volkov,A.V.Nikolaev(Usto­Mumin),L.L.BureandA.V.Isupov.Ufimtsev'sdayjobwasworkingattheSamarkandCommissionforProtectionofArtandAntiquities.

In1925,UfimtsevreturnedtoOmskandworkedasthechiefscenographerinOmsk'stheatreforsevenyears.Hetravelledalloverthecountry;visitedtheAltai,theCaucasus,FarEastandCentralAsia.Uptothe1930s,Ufimtsevisbusybothparticipatinginanumberofexhibitions(The1stAll­Siberianexhibitionofpainting,sculpture,graphicartandarchitectureinKrasnoyarsk,Novosibirsk,Tomsk(1927),the1stKazakhstanTravellingArtExhibition(1928)andothersbothholdinghispersonalexhibitionsinNovo­Nikolaevsk(Novosibirsk,1921),inSamarkand(1924,togetherwithUsto­Mumin),inOmsk(1926).Ufimtsev'sworkismulti­faceted­easelgraphicart,posters,collages,evensamizdat(self­published)poetrycollections:SomeofhisworksappearedinTheFuturists—Collection1(1921)andAutographs(1920–23).In1934,increasinglysuccessfulasapainter,hedecidedtomovetoTashkentpermanently.In1935,Ufimtsevwrote:«Whatisleftwithmeafterallmypursuits?Quiteabit.Impressionismtaughtmecolour.Futurism–quicknessand

inventiveness.Cubismandconstructivismprovidedwithfundamentality,simplicity,objectfirmness,surfacetreatment.Realism–livelinessandhealth.Butself­cultivationisinprogress.I'mstilllearning.Myprofessorsarelifeandspectator».InTashkentheworkedasthechiefscenographerattheHamzaDramaTheatre(1933­36)andplayedaroleinthecreationoftheUnionofArtistsofUzbekistan;since1933­memberoftheorganizingcommittee,succeedingtotheChairoftheUnionfrom1940.In1944UfimtsevwasconferredthetitleofthePeople'sArtistoftheUzbekSovietSocialistRepublic.The1930'swasthemostchangingtimesformanyartists.ThepoliticalfightagainstformalismwastakingplaceinthoseyearsandUfimtsevgradallyturnedtosocialistrealism,developinghistoricalpicturesandproducingsocialistpatrioticcanvases.ThemostpeacefulperiodofUfimtsev'slifeisthe1950's.AftertripstoAfghanistan,TunisiaandIndia,Ufimtsevworkspredominantlywithstill­lifepaintingandlandscapes.In1964,shortlybeforehisdeath,hedonatedhisworkstothecityofAngren(Uzbekistan),whichledtoagallerynamedinhishonour.Ufimtsev'sworksareinmanymuseumcollections,includingtheStateTretyakovGallery,theStateRussianMuseum,OmskRegionalMuseumofFineArtsnamedafterM.A.Vrubel,theStateArtMuseumoftheRepublicofUzbekistaninTashkent,aswellasTheSavitskyCollection.

www.savitskycollection.org

Newformsofsupportingthemuseum

SavitskyKarakalpakstanArtMuseum

Intheyurt,1927

Tothetrain,1927

Drinktothedregs,1929

NEWSECTION

SecretsoftheKingsofKhorezm

Fall 2013

ArcheologistscalledthenorthernsectionofthecorridorthePortraitGallery.Theydiscoveredthattheentire25­meterplaneofonewallwasdividedintocellsbydoublelines,eachcellmeasuring45by60centimetersinsize.Eachcellcomprisedaspecificportrait.Calculationsshowedthatthreelevelsmayhavecontained120portraits.Allthepersonagesintheportraitswereveryyoung.Theimageswereratherstylized,buteachportraithaditsownindividuality,albeithardlyperceptible.

Thewallpaintingsseemtohavebeendestroyeddeliberately,likelythevictimofpillageanddesolation.Withtime,thesitewasburiedunderthedesertclayandsand,preservingthevaluablefragmentsofthepast.

Thediscoveredinscriptionsappearedtobethemostvaluablefindings.Archeologistsuncoveredanintactpieceofplastercoating.ThepiececontainedaninscriptionintheoldKhorezmianlanguage.Atthemomentofdiscovery,itwasthoughtthatthisinscriptionwassomekindof“tag”toindicatethenameofoneofthepersonagesandidentifyhisorherstatusattheroyalcourt.Mostprobablyalloftheportraitshadsuchtags.

AcopyoftheinscriptionwassenttoSt.PetersburgtoProf.V.A.Livshits,afamousexpertonIran.Hesucceededtosingleoutthephrase“…thesonofYekhich,”andtheideogramMLK,whichmeans“king.”HiseffortsconfirmedthattheportraitgallerycontainedimagesoftheKhorezmiankingsandmembersoftheroyalfamily.

Asforthe“procession,”theartistmayhavesimplydepictedoneoftheimportanthistoricepisodesfromoneofthedynasties.Forinstance,itmayhavebeenasceneillustratingthearrivalofthecountry'sfounder.

Thenewdiscoveriesenabledarcheologiststocometoaveryimportantconclusion:theportraitgallerymusthavebelongedtotheancient,previouslyunknowndynastyofKhorezmiankingsrulingoverthecountryuntiltheendofthe2ndcenturytothebeginningofthe1stcenturyBC.Atthatpoint,theYuezhidynastyseizedpowerinKhorezm.Thisturnofeventscanlogicallyexplainwhytheportraitsweredestroyed.Havingdeprivedtheolddynastyofitsthrone,representativesofthenewroyalfamilytriedtoeraseanyremnantoftheirpredecessors.

Theteamworkoftheinternationalresearchers(archeologists,restorersandarchitects)helpedrevealanotherpageinthehistoryofancientKhorezm.TheobjectsofancientartthatweresealedformillenniaintheclayandsandofAkshakhan­KalamadeitpossibletoclarifythedetailsofthedramaticeventsthattookplaceinKhorezmattheendofthe2ndcenturyandbeginningofthe1stcenturyBC.Researchersobtainedtangibleevidenceprovingtheexistenceofthesemi­legendarydynastyoftheKhorezmShahs.

ScholarsaresurethatAkshakhan­Kala,asilentwitnessof2,000­year­oldevents,hasnotyetdisclosedallofitssecrets.Theyanticipatenewdiscoveries.

ShamilAmirov

In1995,amonumentwasfirstunearthedbyajointarcheologicalexpeditionoftheKarakalpakResearchInstituteofHumanities(Prof.V.N.Yagodin)andtheUniversityofSydney,Australia(Prof.AlisonBetts).

Akshakhan­Kalaattractedtheresearchersbecauseofonefact:thoughthemonumentwasfirstdiscoveredbytheKhorezmarcheologicalandethnographicexpeditionasearlyas1956,itwasthebiggestsiteontherightbankofAmu­Darya,whichhadneverbeenthoroughlyandexhaustivelystudied.

ThesiteoftheancientsettlementofAkshakhan­KalaislocatedintheBirunidistrictofKarakalpakstan,inoneoftheonce­flourishingoasesoftheancientkingdomofKhorezm.TracesoftheTashkyrmanmaincanalprovetheareahadacentralizedartificialirrigationsystem.

Byitssize,morethan42hectares,Akshakhan­KalasurpassesalltheantiqueandmedievalmonumentseverunearthedintheterritoryofKarakalpakstan.ThevastspaceandmonumentalarchitectureenablearcheologiststoconcludethatAkshakhan­KalawasoneofthefirstcapitalcitiesofancientKhorezm.

Topographically,thecityisdividedintotwoparts­thecityperse(“lower”town),andthesacred(“upper”town),whichconstitutesnolessthanonequarteroftheentirecity.The“upper”townhadastrongfortificationsystemand,asthestudyshowed,containedpublicbuildings,religioustemplesandmausoleumsaswellasotherstructures.Oneofthemajorcomponentsofthecomplexwasatemple/palacemeasuring60x60meters,withacorridorrunningbetweenthedoublewall,towersateverycornerandentrancesoneachsideofthestructure.Fragmentsofclaysculptureswithpolychromepaintingandotherplasterandclaypartsofthearchitecturaldécorareevidenceoftheoriginalsplendorofthetemple/palaceinterior.Thedécorpolychromeornamentalpatternsmadeontheplasterprecoatcanstillbeseen.Fragmentsofstuccodecoratedwiththinleavesofgoldfoilwerealsodiscovered.

Threerowsofwalls,totalingonekilometerlong,surroundedthecentralbuilding.Theouterwallswerecoveredwithplaster.Someofthewallscontainedtracesofwallpaintings,leadingexpertstobelievethatallwallswereoncepainted.Astheexcavationsshowed,thewallsofthe53­meterwesterncorridorwerecoveredwithmurals.Inthesouthernsectionofthecorridor,remnantsofwallpaintingsshowingaprocessionofpeopleandanimals,mostlikelyhorses,werealsofound.

Thefirstsmallfragmentsofwallpaintingswereuncoveredtherein1999.Theexpeditionwasnotreadytoexcavateandconservethemuralsatthetime,however.In2005,theexpeditionresumeditsworkonthisuniquearcheologicalsite,enhancedbyagroupofrestorersfromUzbekistan,Ireland,FranceandSwitzerland.Theybeganfromthesouthernsectionofthecorridor,wherethefragmentsshowingthe“procession”werefirstunearthed.

Atthetime,theexpeditionmemberscouldnotimaginethatin2006themoststunningimageswouldcomefromthenorthernsectionofthesamecorridor.Thosewerenotmuralsasthearcheologistsexpected.Whilecleaningupdebris,theydiscoveredagreatnumberoffragmentsofpolychromeportraitsthatoncedecoratedthecorridorwalls.Theyincludedasequenceofboldhalf­lengthportraits.Allthepersonageswerewearingcrown­likeheaddressesdecoratedwithwhatappearedtobeabird.Someofthefigureswereadornedwithtorque­likenecklaces.Archeologicalsourcesdescribethegoldnecklacesandcrownsshapedlikebirdstobetheattributesofsupremepower.Red­coloredearsmaketheportraitsevenmorestriking.Itislikelythattheearsareanattribute,too.Manynationsstillconsiderredtobethesymboloffertilityandpower.

www.savitskycollection.org

TheKarakalpakstanStateMuseumofArtnamedafterI.V.SavitskythankseditorsofficeofUzbekistanairlinesmagazineforprovidingEnglishversionofthearticleandphotographs.

Satellitesnapshot

Fall 2013

Restorationinprogress