In addition, the museum’s collection features a large collection of artist Alexander Volkov, a prominent representative of the Turkestan avant-garde. He lived and worked in Uzbekistan, and the Savitsky Museum has over 500 of his paintings. His works are bright and original, demonstrating the rich culture and nature of Uzbekistan, conveying scenes of everyday life and the incredible energy of the Uzbek people.
Also, in the museum, you can see magnificent paintings by Ural Tansykbaev, Nikolai Karakhan. Each work of the mentioned artists has its own magic, which captivates from the first seconds. Looking at the works of one master, it’s hard to believe that they were painted by one person, as the paintings with their unique plot and style are so striking.
Savitsky was also passionate about the work of post-avant-garde artists. Some artists couldn’t even imagine that their works might interest anyone, let alone be exhibited somewhere. In this sense, Savitsky can be called a true mover, and his activity can be compared to the activities of famous collectors: Tretyakov, Shchukin, Morozov, and others.
The Savitsky Museum’s collection is priceless. One work by artist Alexander Volkov at auction would cost more than 2 million euros (170 million rubles), and in Nukus, the largest collection of his paintings in the world is presented. But the Savitsky Museum’s collection is valuable not only from a financial point of view. “Here are the works of many artists that we’ve never heard of, including women authors,” says Charlotte Douglas, a professor of Russian art at New York University. “As well as great works of artists that we are only beginning to understand now.” In 2017, two new buildings were added to the museum complex. There was an opportunity to exhibit paintings for viewers that had been gathering dust in archives for decades and improve the conditions for storing works.
Over the past ten years, paintings from Savitsky’s museum collection have been exhibited abroad only once. However, a huge number of museums are queuing up to arrange their exhibitions. Curators from the Smithsonian Institution, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum, and the Louvre have already contacted the museum in Nukus and offered assistance in preserving and popularizing the legacy of banned artists. There is hope that soon the Savitsky Museum will open its collection to the outside world. Until that happens, you need to travel to distant Nukus to see the masterpieces of the avant-garde, but the trip is worth it.