A unique find: art critics of the Institute of Humanities of Altai State University are studying previously unknown works from the collection of the Museum of the Altai Kazakhs

Scientists of the Institute of Humanities of Altai State University have begun a unique work on systematization and classification of previously unknown paintings by the Mongolian artist Nurdykhan Riyan uly, stored in the Museum of the Altai Kazakhs, Kosh-Agach district of the Altai Republic.

Candidate of Art Criticism, an associate professor of the Department of Arts of the Institute of Humanities of Altai State University Ksenia Melekhova, working on the topic "Fine Arts of Mongolia of the 20th century in the context of the influence of the Russian art school" under the scientific guidance of Doctor of Art Criticism, Professor Larisa Nekhvyadovich, conducts an art criticism analysis of previously unknown paintings by the outstanding Mongolian artist Nurdykhan Riyan uly.

“Director of the National Museum of A.V. Anokhin of the Altai Republic, Rimma Erkinova, told that on the border with Mongolia, in the village of Zhana-Aul, Kosh-Agach district, there is their branch – the Museum of the Altai Kazakhs, among the exhibits of which there are several works by the Mongolian artist and ethnic Kazakh by origin Nurdykhan Riyan uly. Almost nothing is known about this artist, so one of my professional tasks was to reveal the name of this original artist to the Russian and world audience, connoisseurs of fine art, as well as to systematize and classify his works stored in the Museum of the Altai Kazakhs. And these are several dozen paintings, woodwork, furniture, national musical instruments that he made himself. What an outstanding personality!" – emphasized Ksenia Alexandrovna.

Member of the Union of Artists of Mongolia and Honored Worker of Mongolia in the field of art Nurdykhan Riyan uly was born in Ulaanbaatar in 1959. In 1978 he graduated from the Art School of Ulaanbaatar, in 1988 – the Faculty of Painting of the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, where his teacher and mentor was the People's Artist of Mongolia, laureate of the State Prize Dagdangiin Amgalan, who graduated from the Surikov Institute in the Soviet Union.

“The Museum of the Altai Kazakhs, which was originally called the Museum of the Kazakhs of the Chui Steppe, is a kind of island of Kazakh culture, located here, in Russia. A very interesting place, with a special atmosphere, where the history of the resettlement of the Kazakhs at the end of the 19th century is carefully preserved. from East Kazakhstan to the Altai Mountains. This is a huge merit of Elena Akkozhanova, the founder and head of the museum, who is engaged in the preservation and promotion of the material, spiritual culture of the Altai Kazakhs. By order of the museum, Nurdykhan Riyam uli produced a whole series of paintings depicting the life and culture of ethnic Kazakhs living in the Kosh-Agach region, which is a little more than half of the local population. There are many portraits, still lifes, and everyday paintings. Now I have to conduct a detailed art history analysis of these works and reveal this artist to a wide audience,” summed up the researcher of IH of AltSU.

Ksenia Alexandrovna adds that the Museum of Altai Kazakh is a unique cultural institution in its atmosphere and character, which contains exhibits that popularize the features of the culture, life and traditions of the Altai Kazakhs: these are collections of ethnographic and artistic works that art historians in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia have yet to explore.