Salikhitdin Aitbayev Art Gallery
The Salikhitdin Aitbayev Art Gallery is a significant artistic and scientific-educational institution that promotes visual arts and the cultural heritage of the Kyzylorda region. The gallery was established in 2014 as a structural branch of the Kyzylorda Regional Museum of History and Local Lore. In 2019, it was named after Salikhitdin Aitbayev, a prominent Kazakh painter, graphic artist, and Honored Artist of Kazakhstan. The building that houses the gallery is an architectural monument of the 19th century. Constructed from fired brick with a foundation of compacted stone, it holds historical value and reflects the level of architectural craftsmanship of its era. Throughout its history, the building served various functions:
1884-1920 - military barracks;
1920-1990 - enlistment office of the Kyzylorda City Military Commissariat;
2005-2014 - it housed the Department of Culture, Language Development, Urban Planning, and Architecture of the Kyzylorda Region.
In 2005, as part of the national program "Cultural Heritage", restoration work was carried out. In 2014, the building was included in the list of historical and cultural monuments and underwent major renovation before reopening as an art gallery under the Regional Museum of History and Local Lore. Currently, the building is under the management of the State Institution for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Kyzylorda Region.
The total area of the gallery is 466.6 square meters. On the first floor, there are four exhibition halls, while the second floor houses five creative workshops for professional artists and craftsmen. These studios provide broad opportunities for creative work in various genres and techniques of visual art.
The main mission of the gallery is to promote spiritual values through art, showcase the works of national artists, and foster the aesthetic education of the younger generation. The gallery exhibits works by artists of different generations working in the fields of painting, graphics, sculpture, and decorative-applied arts.
In addition, the gallery regularly hosts: exhibitions of regional, national, and international scale, symposia and master classes, excursions, lectures, creative meetings, and various cultural events.
The Salikhitdin Aitbayev Art Gallery is a major cultural center in the Kyzylorda region, contributing significantly to the development of the region’s artistic potential, the promotion of national culture, and the education of young people through the means of art. The combination of the building's historical value and its modern artistic function makes the gallery a unique cultural landmark in the region.