Tashkent Museum of Applied Arts: Photos, Tickets & More!

As a Central Asian country, Uzbekistan is located near the historic Silk Road. This country includes many old and historic cities, including Tashkent, Bukhara, and Khorezm. Tashkent city is the center of one of the historical and beautiful cities of Uzbekistan and its capital. Due to its location on the Silk Road, Tashkent was once an important city, but an earthquake destroyed all its historical buildings. Despite this, tourists and visitors can still visit many historical monuments. One of the top cultural attractions of Tashkent city is the Museum of Applied Arts, where there are works of all the people of Tashkent city, and people display their art, which includes pottery works, hand-woven carpets, etc., to the public.

When looking for the best museums in Uzbekistan, don’t miss the Tashkent Museum of Applied Arts. What will amaze you here are the functional artworks that emphasize the old traditions of schools. Besides these, get to know the works made in the traditional way by artisans as well as modern works of art. This museum is full of colorful buildings that you will be 100% delighted to see. In this museum, all the city locals display every practical art they have, from pottery to hand-woven carpets with tassels. Most of the works in this exhibition are from the old traditions of this city, which are popular.

History of the Museum of Applied Arts

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Museum of Applied Arts was located in the former palace of the Russian diplomat Alexander Alexandrovich Polovtsev Jr.

His secretary Mikhail Stepanovich Andreev bought the museum’s building from Tashkent businessman Nikolai Ivanovich Ivanov. Later, the house interior was re-arranged and renovated under Andreev’s guidance to match the oriental style, and the building became known as the Polovtsov House. This beautiful museum is an example of oriental architectural and decorative art that was built in the late 19th century.

Museum of Applied Arts Entrance

The main architect of the reconstruction of the museum is A. A. Burmeyster. Also, the decoration, painting, and carving of this building by Uzbek folk artists such as Usta Shirin Muradov (Bukhara), A. Kazymdzhanov (Tashkent), Usta T. Arsankulov, Usta A. Palavanov (Khiva) and Usta Abdullah (Rishtan) have been done.

At first, the use of this house was different. During the First World War, it was used to keep Austrian prisoners, and after the Russian Revolution, it carried an orphanage. Later, various organizations operated out of the house, including a training center for plaster carving and carving, as well as an embroidery workshop. Since July 1937, this house has been the site of the Handicrafts Museum, which is considered the former Museum of Applied Arts.

In 1941 and 1961, the building was renovated, and in 1960 it was renamed the Permanent Exhibition of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan. In 1970, the museum building was renovated. Later in 1997, the museum was transferred to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its name was changed to the State Museum of Applied Arts.

Exquisite Works of the Museum of Applied Arts

The Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan is a spectacular art museum that was established in 1937 as a temporary exhibition. The museum contains more than four thousand exhibits of Uzbekistan’s decorative arts, including ceramics, embossing, gold weaving, jewelry, woodcarving, embroidery, and samples of mass production in local industries.

Museum’s Traditional Handicrafts

The traditional handicrafts in this museum are more than 7000 pieces of art, representing Uzbekistan’s traditional art and Uzbekistan culture. Among the most prominent works of this museum, we can mention ceramic, glass, and porcelain plates and dishes, samples of hand-made and machine embroidery, fabrics and national costumes, woodcarvings, carpets, varnished miniatures, and jewelry. These works date from the first half of the 19th century to the present modern era.

Information to Visit the State Museum of Applied Arts

Website: www.artmuseum.uz

Address: 15, str. Rakatboshi, Yakkasaray district, Tashkent

Working hours: every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Approximate time to visit the museum: 2 hours

Nearest Tashkent metro station: Kosmonavtlar

Also, the Museum of Applied Arts has two gift shops where you can buy all kinds of attractive handicrafts.

Entrance Ticket to Uzbekistan State Museum of Applied Art:

Due to the variety of works, the entrance price is very reasonable.

Admission: 2.5 USD

Camera: 12 USD

Guide: 10 USD

Some other Attractions near the Museum of Applied Arts

Saroy Presidential Palace (801 m)

Amir Timur Museum (2 km)

Tashkent Planetarium (3 km)

State Art Museum of Uzbekistan (3 km)

Conclusion

Uzbekistan’s authentic culture and art are represented in over 50 types of handicrafts and 70,000 works of art. The Tashkent Museum of Applied Arts is an attractive attraction. With a very reasonable entrance fee, easy access, and proximity to other tourist attractions, this museum is an attractive place suitable for those interested in culture, handicrafts, and buying souvenirs.

Check out our Uzbekistan tour and contact us to plan your trip. Here are more interesting things to do in Tashkent.