Description of the attraction
The Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan is located on Rakatboshi Street, in house number 15, which is popularly known as the Polovtsev mansion. In the past, this palace belonged to a Russian official in the diplomatic service, Alexander Polovtsev. He bought the house from a local merchant and ordered it to be rebuilt in the national Uzbek style. For this, local craftsmen were invited to paint and decorate walls and wood carvings.
During the First World War, the house was transformed into a dungeon where prisoners of war were kept, and after the revolution it was turned into an orphanage. Since 1938, a museum has been located here, which began with a small exhibition, where handicrafts were demonstrated. The Museum of Applied Arts was then called the Museum of Handicrafts. Over time, the collection of the museum was replenished with new samples: ancient robes decorated with rich embroidery, skullcaps, carpets, jewelry, etc. were brought here. In 1941 and 1961, the museum building was temporarily closed for forced repairs. The museum got its current name in 1997.
The collection of the Museum of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan consists of about 7 thousand items created by the best artisans of Uzbekistan in the period from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. These are ceramics, china and decorative figurines, silk fabrics, gold embroidery, paintings, musical instruments, folk-style jewelry, household items and work accessories, embroidered clothing and much more.
