Karaganda Regional Museum of Fine Arts

Karaganda Regional Museum of Fine Arts - the only art museum in the Karaganda Region - was opened in 1988. The museum collection, which today comprises more than 10,000 items in its main fund, was assembled in diverse ways. The “golden” fund of the museum includes works by more than 40 Honored Art Workers and 30 People’s Artists of Kazakhstan and the CIS countries. The foundation of the collection was laid with works donated by Karaganda artists. Among them are paintings by the Honored Art Worker of the Kazakh SSR V. Krylov, as well as by P. Antonenko, P. Rechensky, R. Yesirkeyev, V. Shamshin, and P. Andrejuk. Many works of painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative and applied arts were donated to the museum by G. Gilevsky, A. Osipenko, Yu. Kamelin, A. Plotnikov, M. Dzhunusov, S. Sanosyan, A. Bilyk, Yu. Gummel, V. Shulga, A. Serdyuk, V. Imanasov, V. Malkevich, S. Kalmakhanov, T. Kenesbayev, M. Kalkabayev, F. Islamova, the Orlov family, L. Smaglyuk, and many others. Their works reflect diverse themes and embody a wide variety of creative styles. Immediately after its foundation, the museum staff, headed by its first director - art historian and member of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan N. I. Ivanina - appealed for assistance to the Ministries of Culture of the USSR, the RSFSR, the Kazakh SSR, as well as to the administration of the State Hermitage, the Russian Museum, and the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan. The Directorate of Art Exhibitions of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan was the first to respond by helping to form the museum’s collection. From Almaty, the museum received about 300 works of painting and graphics by more than one hundred authors, including People’s Artists of the Kazakh SSR N. Krutilnikov, K. Telzhanov, A. Galimbayeva, and N. Nurmukhammedov. Their works, created between the 1940s and 1980s, represent a unique artistic chronicle of the republic’s life. Around 60 works were donated by the Soviet Culture Foundation, including paintings and graphics by S. Luchishkin - one of the founders of Soviet art and a member of the OST (Society of Easel Painters, 1920s), whose works are preserved in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum. The museum also received works by N. Simonovich-Yefimova - a member of the Moscow Artists’ Association and founder of Soviet puppet theater - created in 1925-27; paintings by Moscow artist and polar explorer, honorary member of the Geographical Society, I. Ruban (1930s-40s); graphics by D. Mitrokhin; and prints from the 1905 engravings of Ya. Nalus, among others. A particular pride of the museum is the collection of watercolor works by native of Karaganda, People’s Artist of Kazakhstan, actor, director, and choreographer Aubakir Ismailov. In 1939, he graduated from the Moscow Art Institute, where he studied under A. Gerasimov, V. Favorsky, and V. Ioganson, and became the youngest participant of the first traveling exhibition of the People’s Commissariat for Education of the Kazakh Republic. Aubakir Ismailov was among the first artist-chronographers of Karaganda and one of the founders of national fine art. His paintings are now held in more than 20 museums across different countries. One of the museum’s distinctive features is its collection of works by repressed artists. The history of Karaganda art dates back to the Stalinist era, when the city was the center of Kazakhstan’s labor camps. The first artists who arrived in the 1930s were political prisoners. They worked on the decoration of streets and squares, interiors of public buildings, theater sets, and exhibitions in the local history museum; they also opened the first art studios and contributed to the establishment of an artists’ association in the city. Many of them devoted their lives to this region, while others left their mark before eventually returning to their hometowns. Among the founders of the local art school were former director of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts V. Eifert, graphic artist L. Hamburger, painters P. Frizen, S. Ivashev-Musatov, and L. Usaitis. Indirectly, through their creativity, outstanding figures such as the German artist and art critic Heinrich Vogeler, world-renowned watercolorist A. Fonvizin, graphic artist R. Grabbe, and painter and graphic artist L. Kropivnitsky (Moscow underground) influenced Karaganda’s art scene. Moscow artist E. Rozengolts, a student of R. Falk, after surviving Siberian camps and exile in Karaganda, actively resumed her creative activity. Due to the lack of materials, works were sometimes created with pig’s blood - one such piece by artist Borchman I. is preserved in the museum’s collection. The museum also holds a remarkable collection of ex libris, assembled thanks to the efforts of the famous bookplate master, art historian, and collector S. Ivensky. His exhibitions enjoy wide popularity both in Kazakhstan and abroad. After the All-Union Watercolor Exhibition held in Karaganda, the museum collection of graphics was enriched with works by young watercolorists such as Ya. Solop, I. Plaksin, M. Khegay, E. Selezneva, V. Shulga, L. Frolov, the Shchetinin family, and B. Lesovoy. This series was inspired by their impressions of visiting Karlag. Noteworthy are the artistic explorations of A. Noda, V. Herzen, N. Viktorova, and M. Sadykov, whose creative formation took place in the 1980s. Their works are characterized by the search for new means of expression and a freer interpretation of the surrounding world. The middle and younger generations of artists, who follow their own individual paths, are represented by L. Shaykezhanova, N. Daurenbekov, A. Kalmakhanov, P. Karpunina, T. Dosmagambetov, and others. The section of folk decorative and applied arts includes more than 200 objects created in different decades of the 20th century. This section most fully represents traditional Kazakh decorative art. The centerpiece of this collection is a mid-20th-century yurt with its complete interior furnishings. Also of great interest are examples of horse harnesses and national felt and woven carpets - syrmaks, tekemets, palas-alasha - made both by traditional craftsmen and modern masters. Kazakh jewelry art by folk artisans is also widely represented. The collection further contains works by Karaganda masters of applied arts such as T. Rolyans, M. Kalkabayev, N. Bolyukh, O. Abeuov, L. Kosova, and many others. Unique works by Russian and Ukrainian artists, continuing the traditional arts of their peoples, are represented in blown glass, ceramics, wood, decorated with paintings and inlays. Foreign art is represented by 19th-century German and French porcelain (Rubikovo glass, “Three Brothers”), as well as Korean wooden items (vases, caskets) inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The sculpture section is comparatively modest, numbering about 100 items, all created in the second half of the 20th century. Karaganda sculpture is widely represented by acclaimed masters and Honored Art Workers of the Kazakh SSR N. Gummel and A. Bilyk. The section also includes works by A. Tsoy, Zh. Kaliyev, L. Yadrintsev, L. Smaglyuk, as well as by repressed artist N. Rybetsky. The sculptures of renowned Russian master B. Musat date to his Karaganda period. The Russian sculpture collection is bright and diverse, including works by P. Shapiro, A. Petrov, Z. Ozov, L. Apresyan, I. Arefyev, L. Bugay, Kh. Gevorkyan, G. Dodonov, I. Kotov, and T. Koronna. Kazakh sculpture is represented by V. Rakhmanov, A. Bilyk, and Yu. Gummel. Over the years of its activity, the museum has hosted traditional reporting exhibitions of the Union of Artists of Karaganda, solo exhibitions, competitions, jubilee, thematic, memorial, and many other exhibitions. Annually, the museum organizes more than 120 exhibitions. The average attendance of permanent and traveling exhibitions exceeds 200,000 visitors per year. A major milestone in the museum’s history has been its international exhibitions from Poland, Korea, Germany, Romania, France, Italy, Israel, Cuba, China, Russia, and other countries. The museum implements a variety of projects, including “Dästür söileidi” (Tradition Speaks), “Art Therapy in the Museum”, and “Night at the Museum.” The project “Dästür söileidi” presents and narrates Kazakh traditions that are still preserved today, with active audience participation in an immersive experience of national color. The Art Therapy project, launched in 2014, combines various art forms and reveals talented local individuals - artists, poets, writers, bards, and musicians. It serves as a creative platform for communication and presentations, producing a strong psychotherapeutic effect through the combined influence of painting, poetry, prose, music, and dance. The Night at the Museum project, implemented since 2013, presents diverse themes in fine art and attracts a large number of visitors. The museum regularly organizes competitions at the republican, regional, and city levels, such as: “Soz ben suret” (Word and Image) - a poetry and art competition, whose winning works were transferred to the museum collection; the regional graffiti contest “Symbols of Independence”, with participants from 8 cities of the Karaganda Region; the art contest “Qyran qanatty Qasym”, with the participation of professional artists and art teachers of the region, whose best works also entered the museum’s fund; the photo contest “30 Moments of Independence”, featuring young Karaganda photographers; and the online city competition “Tulip - King of Flowers” on Instagram. All these contests culminated in the publication of albums. Museum pedagogy is a systematic collaboration with educational institutions, including student and teacher exhibitions, diploma project defenses, museum lessons, workshops, and children’s participation in museum activities. A vivid example is the 30-year partnership with Secondary School No. 61, which houses an exhibition hall functioning as a “branch” of the museum. The school’s renowned “living paintings” theater participates in many museum events. The museum’s cooperation with institutions in other cities and countries significantly enhances its research opportunities. Active correspondence and exchange of information with museums is ongoing. Museum staff regularly present at conferences in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Atyrau, Pavlodar, Astana, and other cities. Participation in conferences and seminars offers valuable experience in sharing and acquiring knowledge about museum work. The museum also carries out extensive work in the field of inclusive practices. It cooperates with special boarding schools, conducting the cycle of events “The Open World of Art”, which features exhibitions of works by people with special needs, as well as classes and workshops by renowned Karaganda artists. The program also includes tactile exhibitions for visually impaired visitors. In 2021, the museum launched the project “Opening the World: Creating an Accessible Environment in the Museums of Kazakhstan”, organized by the private charitable foundation Dara.kz. The project aims to expand educational opportunities for blind and visually impaired children in Kazakhstan, promoting their development and social integration within their hometowns without separation from their families. In today’s environment of strong competition from the internet and abundant modern entertainment, the museum constantly seeks and implements innovative approaches to attract visitors. Its audience spans all age groups - from preschool children to participants of the Active Longevity program. To broaden visitor engagement, new event formats have been introduced, such as “Art Laboratory” and “Art Improvisation”, which expand the possibilities of the classical museum in popularizing fine art and museum activities.