Almaty City Museum Guide
Interesting sights and architecture of the Southern Capital
The Abylkhan Kasteev State Museum of Art is the main art museum of Kazakhstan, the pearl of Almaty and the largest art collection in the country. His collections reflect the richness of national culture, world heritage and creative achievements of Kazakh masters. It is a place where history, tradition and modernity merge together, creating a unique space for inspiration and knowledge. The museum was founded in 1935 as a small art gallery, and in 1976 it was named after Abylkhan Kasteev, the first professional Kazakh artist whose paintings became a symbol of the national school of painting. Today, the museum is an entire cultural complex, including several buildings, exhibition halls and storage facilities. In addition to the art museum in Almaty, there is also the Abylkhan Kastayeyev House Museum where the artist lived and worked.
How to get there and visit
The A. Kasteev State Museum of Art is located at 22/1 Koktem-3 microdistrict, Bostandyk district, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 43°14'08"N 76°55'10"E
History
The Abylkhan Kasteev State Art Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan was opened in 1976 on the basis of the T. Shevchenko Kazakh State Art Gallery (founded in 1935) and the Republican Museum of Applied Arts (founded in 1970). In January 1984, the museum was named after the People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR Abylkhan Kasteev. By UNESCO's decision, the 100th anniversary of Abylkhan Kasteev was widely celebrated in 2004. On January 15, 2004, the grand opening of the anniversary exhibition of A. Kasteev took place. The exhibition includes all the works of the artist. In particular, more than 400 watercolor and painting works, photographic documents, personal belongings of the artist, and newsreels were exhibited in four large halls of the museum. In addition, the artist's exhibitions were held in the city of Paris and in the regional centers of the republic, for example, in the city of Zharkent. An art museum named after Kasteev was opened in the village of Chunja and there was a Kasteev park.
Collection and exhibitions
The museum's collections number more than 25,000 works of art. The exhibition covers a wide range of areas:
1. Kazakh fine arts – painting, graphics, sculpture and decorative and applied arts, including masterpieces by Abylkhan Kasteev, Aisha Galimbayeva, Salikhitdin Aitbayev and other masters.
2. Russian art of the XVIII–XX centuries – works by Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, Ivan Shishkin, Isaac Levitan and other famous artists.
3. Western European art – paintings by masters of Italy, France, Holland and Germany, including paintings from the Renaissance, Classicism and Art Nouveau eras.
4. Oriental art – rich collections of works from China, India, Iran, Turkey, Japan. Here you can see unique examples of ceramics, miniatures, bronze and silk products.
5. Modern Art – exhibitions of 21st century artists who develop Kazakhstani painting, sculpture, photography and installations.
Architecture
The main building of the museum, built in 1976, is an example of Soviet modernism. Its strict lines and monumental forms blend harmoniously with the spacious halls, creating an atmosphere of grandeur and solemnity. The architecture of the building features a four-sided pyramid that towers over the main hall of the museum.
Abylkhan Kasteev is a name that has become a symbol
Abylkhan Kasteev (1904-1973) was the first professional artist of Kazakhstan, the founder of the national school of painting. His works are imbued with love for his native land, Kazakh traditions and culture. Kasteev's paintings, such as "Wedding", "Old and New Way of Life", "Turksib", have become a reflection of the new era and an important part of national memory. The naming of the museum after him was a recognition of the master's great contribution to the development of fine arts in Kazakhstan.
Today, the Abylkhan Kasteev State Museum of Art is not just an exhibition space, but a real cultural center. Temporary exhibitions, lectures, workshops, meetings with artists, as well as large-scale international projects that strengthen Kazakhstan's cultural ties with the world are held here. This is a place for any guest of Almaty who is interested in culture, art and history of Kazakhstan.
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