Aktobe Regional Museum of Art
The Aktobe Regional Museum of Fine Arts and Decorative-Applied Arts, with a history spanning more than thirty years, is one of the leading cultural institutions of the region, playing a significant role in the development of artistic culture and the promotion of visual arts. The museum was established on July 2, 1981, by decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Kazakh SSR. Initially, it operated as the twentieth branch of the Directorate of Art Exhibitions under the Ministry of Culture of the Kazakh SSR and was known as the Aktobe Regional Exhibition Hall of Fine Arts. During that period, the institution’s activities were mainly focused on organizing exhibitions and hosting traveling art shows.
One of the most notable events in the early history of the museum was the opening of its first exhibition, titled "Fine Arts of Kazakhstan", held in the newly established exhibition hall. This exposition attracted considerable interest among art enthusiasts of the region and contributed to increasing public engagement with the visual arts.
A new stage in the institution's development began in 2006. That year, by order of the Akim (Governor) of Aktobe Region, the state institution "Aktobe Regional Exhibition Hall of Fine Arts" was reorganized into the state institution "Aktobe Regional Museum of Fine Arts and Decorative-Applied Arts." This transformation raised the status of the museum and laid the foundation for the expansion of its structure and areas of activity.
In 2013, the museum moved into a new two-story building specially designed for museum purposes. The architectural design of the building fully meets the functional requirements of museum work, providing facilities for hosting both permanent and temporary exhibitions at a high level. In connection with this significant event, the grand opening of the museum’s first exhibition in the new building took place on November 2, 2013.
Currently, the museum's collection holds over 4,000 works of art. The collection includes paintings, graphics, sculpture, and decorative-applied art, as well as exhibits acquired from international exhibitions and bibliographic publications on art. The museum houses works by prominent Kazakhstani artists such as Abylkhan Kasteyev, Sabyr Mambeyev, and Kanapiya Telzhanov, along with artworks created by artists living and working in the Aktobe region.
The museum's exhibition activity is carried out on a broad scale. In addition to solo and group exhibitions of artists from Aktobe, the museum regularly hosts traveling exhibitions of artists from other regions of Kazakhstan and foreign countries. These initiatives contribute to the museum's development as a platform for intercultural dialogue.
The main objective of the museum is to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the region and to promote both traditional and contemporary forms of fine and decorative-applied arts. Alongside this, the museum engages in scientific and educational work aimed at shaping the aesthetic taste of young people, developing art education, systematizing cultural values from a scholarly perspective, promoting folk art, and strengthening the continuity between folk and professional art.