Influence of The Artistic Life of Samarkand In The 1920s On The Development of Easel Painting In Uzbekistan
Abstract
The early 20th century marked a transformative period in the history of visual arts across Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan, where the city of Samarkand emerged as a key artistic hub. During the 1920s–1930s, Samarkand became a vibrant intersection of Eastern artistic heritage and Western painterly techniques, significantly influenced by political reforms and cultural modernization. Despite the rich documentation of artistic evolution in Soviet territories, a comprehensive theoretical framework contextualizing Samarkand’s unique artistic development during this era remains underdeveloped. This study aims to explore the impact of Samarkand’s artistic life in the 1920s on the formation of easel painting in Uzbekistan, focusing on the contributions of both local and Russian-trained artists. The findings reveal the coexistence and tension between national traditions and socialist realism, embodied in the works of A. Volkov, P. Benkov, O. Tatevosyan, and Usto Mumin. The city hosted artists who adapted decorative folk styles, miniature aesthetics, and plein-air impressionism to create a culturally hybrid visual language. The research highlights the individual stylistic trajectories of Samarkand artists, uncovers the absence of rigid creative collectives, and documents the city’s appeal to Russian artists, whose visits catalyzed intercultural exchanges. Understanding the artistic life of Samarkand in this transitional period deepens our comprehension of regional cultural identity formation, the negotiation of tradition and ideology, and the broader Soviet artistic experience within a multinational context.
References
[2] M. Myasina, A. Volkov and His Students. Exhibition Catalog. Moscow, 1987.
[3] A. Ustimenko, «Accused of Love», Druzhba Nar., 10, 2013.
[4] T. Makhmudov, Aesthetics of Painting in Uzbekistan. 1983.
[5] D. Boult and Y. I. Poslavsky, Alexander Volkov: The Sun and the Caravan. Kniga-album, Moscow, 2007.
[6] S. Barnaeva, «Artist Leon Bure: Facets of Creativity», Electron. Res. J. Dmitry Hvorostovsky Sib. State Inst. Arts “ARTE”, 3, сс. 102–108, 2022.
[7] K. K. Zhuraev and Z. K. Kadirov, «Features of the Artistic Life of Samarkand (In the 1920s)», Eur. J. Innov. Nonform. Educ., 2, сс. 129–131, 2021.
[8] G. Abbasova, «Fine Art of Central Asia in the 1920s-1930s: The Problem of Representation of the Soviet East», PhD Thesis, State Institute of Art Studies, 2023.
[9] R. Eremyan, «Masters of the New East, as Part of the World Artistic Process», San’at, 3–4, сс. 22–24, 2005.
[10] P. Benkov, Memoirs, Correspondence. 1981.
[11] L. Shostko, Oganes Tatevosyan. Sovetskiy khudozhnik Publ., 1977.
[12] L. Rempel, The Art of Soviet Uzbekistan. Moscow, 1976.
[13] The Eighth Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures AHRR. Life and Everyday Life of the Peoples of the USSR. Publishing House of the Hood Association A.H.R.R., 1926.
[14] M. Myasina, The Oldest Soviet Artists about Central Asia and the Caucasus. Sovetskiy khudozhnik Publ., 1973.
[15] N. Akhmedova, «The Painting of the Central Asian Republics in Search of Renewal of the Artistic Language (1960s)», Art Eurasia, 3 (26), сс. 64–73, 2022, doi: 10.46748/ARTEURAS.2022.03.005.
[16] G. Abbasova, «Two Exhibitions of Fine Art of Uzbekistan in Moscow: from 1934 to 1937», Bull. Mosc. Univ. Ser. 8 Hist., 3, сс. 121–138, 2018.
[17] R. Eremyan, Usto Mumin (A. Nikolaev), Masters of Arts of Uzbekistan. Publishing House of Literature and Art named after G. Gulyam, 1981.
[18] S. Krukovskaya, Usto Mumin (Alexander Vasilyevich Nikolaev): Life and Creativity. Gafur Gulyam Publishing House, 1973.
[19] E. Shaafranskaya, Usto Mumin: Transformations. Garage Museum of Modern Art and Publishing House, 2023.
[20] N. Akhmedova, «Uzbek Avant-Garde: Experience of Typological Interpretation», Cent. Asian J. Art Stud., 2, сс. 141–142, 2021.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zhuraev Xamza Xamrakulovich, Kadirov JamshidKhan lmukhamad ugli

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Central Asian Journal of Innovations on Tourism Management and Finance published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.