Museum of Fine Arts

The Osh Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after Turgunbai Sadykov is the newest of the local museums. It was opened in 2004 at the initiative of local artists. It is nestled in the historic Artisans’ Quarter, adjoining the 16^th century Rabat Abdullah Khan Mosque. The museum is housed in the building of the former Osh Regional Museum of Local History, which was opened in 1974 as an administrative building with exhibitions on the first floor.

Before the opening of the Museum of Fine Arts, all the special previews, exhibitions and performances were held in the exhibition hall of the regional branch of the Union of Artists and in the only picture gallery in Kyrgyzstan located on a collective farm, in the Karasuu district. Though this gallery has sadly closed, it donated 37 works from its collection to the new museum.

The Museum of Fine Arts is the only museum of its kind in southern Kyrgyzstan. Its collection consists of over 680 paintings, sculptures, graphic works and applied arts. Almost all local artists have donated a few of their works to the museum. The museum exhibits pieces by well-known artists Gapar Aitiev, Olga Manuilova, Aman Asrankulov, Baatyr Zhaliyev, Myrza Omurkulov, Leontiy Gorbunov and others.

A significant place in the museum’s collection is dedicated to the works of Urumbai Akhunov, one of Osh’s first artists, whose paintings of early 20^th century Osh are an important visual, archival record of the city’s history. His paintings can be used to study Osh’s past, as the painter painstakingly depicted old Osh in great detail.

The museum regularly hosts various exhibitions and performances. From modern avant-gardism to an installation of landscape sketches of Suleiman Mountain, there is always something new to see. Of greatest interest are works of Soviet realism, made in the distinctive style of Osh artists. The museum collection is constantly expanding.