Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts

Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts named after P. S. Gamzatova opened since 1958 The basis of the museum collection was 200 exhibits transferred from the art department of the Museum of Local History now DGOM named after A. Tahoe-Godi (paintings, drawings, sculpture, porcelain, furniture), received in the 1920s - 30s from the State Museum Fund. Currently, the collection of DMI named after P. S. Gamzatova includes a variety of collections, numbering more than 14 thousand exhibits. The permanent exposition of the museum is located in nine halls and consists of the following sections:

1. Russian art XVIII - early XX centuries.

   The hall presents 54 paintings of famous Russian masters, representing the following artistic trends: academicism (K.P. Bryullov “Italian Woman by the Pool”, G.I. Semiradsky “Eastern Landscape”, ...), Wanderers (V.G. Perov “Orphans”, I.N. Kramskaya “Portrait of a Sister”, I.I. Levitan “Burlaki”, ...), Symbolists (V.M. Vasnetsov “Bird Gamayun”, P.V. Kuznetsov “Eastern Landscape”, A.Gortskodov”, “A.Kortskorov Landscape”, “A.Golkov”, “A.Kortsko”, “A.Korda”, “A.Kortsko”, “A.Kortsko”, “A.Kortskolovskaya Landscape”. As well as exhibits - items of tableware and small plastic from a rich, diverse collection of Russian porcelain (private factories of Elizabeth Petrovna, Gardner, Popov, Kuznetsov) and glass XVIII - XIX centuries. Separately presented campaign porcelain - painted tableware and small plastic ("Sailor with a banner", "Football player" N.Y. Danko).

2. Russian artists XIX - nach. XX century in the Caucasus.

   Here are the works of Russian artists inspired by the people of Dagestan and its original culture. Views of the harsh nature of the Dagestani mountains are captured in the landscapes of I.K. Aivazovsky, I.P. Zankovsky. Of course, most of the works of a battle character are devoted to the Caucasian War - "The Road to the Upper Gunib", "The Place of surrender of Shamil" by I. N. Zankovsky, "The Russian Camp near Gunib" by F. S. Alexandrovsky, "The Storm of Akhty" by P. I. Babayev. The pride of the museum are the works of F.A. Roubaud: “Storm of Gimra”, “Akhulgo”, “The Transition of Prince Argutinsky through the Caucasus Range”. Only three works from 15 paintings dedicated to important events of the Caucasian War, and created specifically for the military-historical museum “Temple of Glory” in Tiflis, commissioned by the government of Alexander III. Each work in this series reflects the most intense, culminating moments of battles, allowing you to lift the veil of time. Still impressed by his trips to Dagestan and the heroic history of his people, Roubaud, on his own initiative, creates the first panorama in the history of Russian art – “Storm of Aul Akhulgo”. He and a group of students worked on this work, the size of 120x12 m, two years from 1889 to 1891, in a specially rebuilt pavilion in Munich. After foreign exhibitions and incredible success, the panorama was placed in the museum, in the artist’s homeland in Nizhny Novgorod. Then five years later, the tsar bought a panorama for the “Temple of Glory”, and after the revolution it was turned on the rampart and transferred to the Dagestan Museum of Local History. Due to unsatisfactory storage and transportation conditions, the panorama suffered greatly, in the early 40s, before the war, the management of the museum, having deployed it and saw numerous losses, decided to cut three less preserved fragments, and write off the rest. The previous director of DMI – Patimat Saidovna Gamzatova, having learned about the tragic fate of this work, decided to save at least the remaining fragments. And, thanks to her efforts, today these three fragments of a unique work are presented in the permanent exhibition of the museum. Moreover, so that descendants could imagine the scale and composition of the panorama as a whole, in 1992, a contract was signed with the Studio of Military Artists named after M. Grekov, under the leadership of N.N. Solomin, to write a sketch on a scale of 1:10.

3. Western European art XVI - nach. XX century.

   
   Museum collection of Western European art has more than 60 works, of which 40 are on permanent display. Among the originals there are several excellent copies of the XVI - XVIII centuries, also having 6 great historical and artistic significance. Unfortunately, the collection does not allow to fully reflect the history of the development of all trends and styles of art in Europe. Nevertheless, some works give a vivid idea of such historical and cultural epochs as the Northern Renaissance ("The Torment of St. Catherine" of the XVI century. - the earliest original), the Italian Renaissance ("The Holy Family with John the Baptist" by A. del Sarto (author's copy), "Venus in front of the Mirror" by V. Titian, "The Abduction of Europe" by P. Veronese (copy of the XVIII)), Dutch, Flemish, Italian art of the XVII century ("Moscionism "Vozhensky" by V.Rukovozhensky" by P., "Batzhensky" by P., "Batzhenzi" by P., "Vozhenzhenskyi" by V., "Barozka" by V., "Vozhenzhenzhenskyi" by V.", "Barozka" by V. , "Batzka" by Marozka" by V.Ru, "Batzka" by V., "B The hall also exhibits sculptures of Western Europe, representing: Baroque ("Jesus Christ and John the Baptist" N.H., "Madonna and Child" N.H., ...), classicism ("Amour and Psyche" A. Canova, "Three graces" M. Moreau, (copies), ...), realism ("Portrait of a young woman" Schumacher, "Indian on horseback" F. Remington (author's copy), romanticism ("Margarita" N. H., "Jerome in Jerome). In the showcases there are wonderful products of tableware and small plastics of Western European porcelain (Meissen, Sevres, Berlin, Vienna manufactories and Wedgwood). And several interior items - the office (Baroque, Italy XVII century.), Bureau (classicism, France at the beginning of the XIX century.), console (classicism, Europe of the XIX century.). In the windows there are products of tableware and small plastics of Western European porcelain (Meissen, Sevres, Berlin, Vienna manufactories and Wedgwood).

4. Decoratively - applied art of Dagestan.

   DMII has one of the richest collections of decorative and applied art of Dagestan, starting with archaeological finds of the III thousand BC. The permanent exposition of the museum reflects the diversity and archaic traditions of all crafts of the peoples of Dagestan.

   • • Archaeology.

   The collection of archaeological exhibits was transferred to the museum by the Institute of the History of Archaeology and Ethnography of DNC RAS in the 1970s, which were almost entirely included in the permanent exhibition. This is archaeological material - bronze, wood, ceramics, a total of 172 exhibits, chronologically covering the time from the III thousand BC to the period of the developed Middle Ages of the XIV century. It presents the most ancient forms of metal jewelry, objects of labor and everyday life, including ceramic vessels.

   • • Ceramics.

   The collection of the museum contains more than 650 Dagestani ceramics, starting with kon. III thousand BC - archaeological ceramics, represented by twelve objects, and ending with the XX century. (ceramics of Balkhar, Sulevkent and Julius potters). The main ceramic centers of Dagestan were auls: Lak Balhar and Tabasaran Julia (non-irrigation ceramics), Dargin Sulevkent, Lezgin Kala, Ispic and Derbent (irrigation ceramics). The exposition presents various forms of vessels, plates and other products for various purposes, all ceramic centers of Dagestan. A characteristic feature of Balkharian ceramics is the color of the shard from pinkish - terracotta to matte black, decorated with painting in red or white angob. Julian masters painted their products of even terracotta color with large S-shaped or zigzag patterns. About sir. VIII century. in Derbent used watering. Derbent plates presented in the exhibition have a brown shard, their mirror is decorated with various geometrized motifs and covered with transparent watering. For Suleucent ceramics, the terracotta color of the shard is characteristic and a relief-stucted decor with scratched and stamped individual details. It is still unclear the origin of ceramic dishes common in the republic with amazing beauty of watering and relief decor - the so-called Indir or Ispic. This is the only type of Dagestani ceramics intended exclusively for decorating sakli and has a protective function.

   • • Copper-minted and bronze-soling products.

   The collection of metal products includes 523 exhibits, of which 80 are exhibited. Here are a variety of household items: aquifers (eret, tortured) and water jars (kumgan), minted and engraved trays, bronze cast boilers and lamps. And also a variety of utensils - cushions, mugs, cups, buckets. Large Dagestani centers for metal processing were: Dargin village. Kubachi, Avar Gotsatl, Ichichali, Lak Kumukh, Kundi, as well as Azerbaijani villages. Lagich, whose masters produced products for the whole of South Dagestan. The museum houses a small but very good collection of Iranian copper, some of which is also on display. These are boiler covers for hot dishes of different sizes, vessels of various shapes for food products, lamps, water-bearing jugs, trays.

   • • Carved stone.

   The collection of Dagestani carved stone in the museum has 57 exhibits. They are made in various techniques and material (clay slate, sandstone) and are divided into the following groups: 1) stone reliefs - details of the architectural decor of the Kubachi village (Zirichgeran) -XIV-XV centuries 2) gravestone monuments - anthropomorphic and rectangular steles "Kubachin" (XV - XVIII centuries) and "Kumukh" (XVIII - XX centuries) types. 3) household items made of stone and decorated with carvings (mortgages, stands for spinning wheels, lamps) of the XVIII - early XX centuries.

   • • Carved wood.

   The collection of carved wood of DMII has 223 exhibits and reflects the diversity of forms of ornamental culture, manufacturing techniques (hollowed, carved, grinded) and decoration (painting, coloring, tinting). The carved tree in the exposition of the museum is presented quite extensively. The earliest and unique monument is a fragment of the casket or baby cradle II thousand BC, found by archaeologists in the Kafyrkumukh burial ground (Buynak district). The exposition of the museum presents elements of architectural decor (capitals of support pillars, Avar and Kubachi types; elements of Avar tsagur, ...) and interior (sofa with armrests, villages). Oboh, Avars; cradles, chests-lari for grain storage. As well as a magnificent collection of household items made of wood: grain measurements, horned salt shakers, spinning wheels, scoops, etc. It is necessary to highlight the collection of carved uchaltans, wall stands for spoons, which had in different areas, and even individual villages, their traditional types of design and decor.

   • • Unzukul notch metal on wood.

   A separate type of Dagestani art of artistic wood processing are products of Untsukul masters. The world-famous Unzukul technique of inlaying wood with metal (copper, silver, Melchior), as well as bone, horn, turquoise, originated in the Avar village of Unzukul two hundred years ago. Basically, the Unzukulites produced souvenirs (canes, smoking pipes, ...) products for export to Russia and abroad. From the 1950s to the 70s, masters appeared – I. Abdullayev, A. Magomedov, Sh. Magomedov, brothers G. and M. Gazimagomedov, creating highly artistic products, adapting traditions to modern human life.

   • • Carpets and embroidery.

   To date, the collection of carpets, carpets and embroidery has 1,108 exhibits, 432 of them make up a collection of carpets, which can be divided into four groups: 1) lintless carpets (Avars, Kumyks, Laks, Dargins, Lezgins), 2) pile carpets (Tabasarans, Lezgins, Kumyks, Avars), 3) felt carpets (Laktsy, Kumyks, Nogais, Avars), 4) combined carpets (Avars, Dargins). The museum contains 37 silk embroideries, among which, in addition to 27 Dagestani, there are Russian, Chinese and Mongolian. Dagestan embroidery is divided into two groups "Kaytag" and "Usishin". Another group consists of 165 gold embroidery products. Basically, these are products of Dagestani masters, 108 units, (prayer mats “paintings”, veils for niches, quilted back pillows, handbags for needlework “bohcha”, ...) and Russian: (kokokoshniks, veils, clergy clothes). The exposition presents the most interesting examples of Dagestan carpet-making, silk embroidery and gold embroidery.

   • • Artistic silver kon. XVIII - early XX centuries.
   • • Jewelry.

   The collection of artistic silver has about 5 thousand exhibits, of which 4.5 thousand are women’s jewelry (temporal earrings, handkerchief chains, monist, amuletress, breast buckles, belts, ...). There are five stylistically closed groups of products, which differ in artistic forms used by techniques, ornament, methods of wearing: Avar, Dargin, Kubachin, South Dagestan, Kumyk, Nogai. For the Avar group of jewelry is characterized by the preservation of archaic features, severity, monumentality, the predominance of symbols in ornamental decor, security purposes. These are mainly head decorations sewn on the chohto (various temporal earrings and plaques). Dargin jewelry in many ways echoes Avar, some types of temporal and chest suspensions are identical. Of particular interest are the pendants of the amulet, in the form of a cylindrical case, where a paper with an Islamic religious text was placed. The exposition extensively presents the decorations of the Dargins from the villages. Cubs allocated to a separate group. The traditional wedding decorations of this group are original and diverse. Massive bracelets, chest pendants "tavka", rings-bells, decorated with large inserts of semi-precious stones (almandine, turquoise, coral, carnelian), placers of grain and gilding. The main forms and decorations of the South Dagestani type (Avars of the Tlyarata region and the Zakatala zone, Agults, Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans) arose under the influence of neighboring Near Eastern countries, in particular Iran, through Azerbaijan. What was manifested in the decorative diversity, the abundance of colored inserts of glass and paste, many small pendants, artistic motifs associated with the art of Islam (crescent with a star, tents, oriental “cucumbers”, pointed arches). A striking example is the wedding head decoration “kyukyem”, two magnificent samples of which are presented in the exhibition. There were two main types of jewelry in the cobbles - a velvet breastplate with sewn silver clasps and a narrow belt, which are part of the national costume of the cobbles. The exposition presents products of very fine work, made in filigree technique, with gilding and small inserts of turquoise, colored paste. Nogai jewelry is radically different and stylistically close to the products of the peoples of Central Asia. The forms of wedding decorations are exaggerated large, the decor is minimized, which emphasizes large inserts of carnelian. Particularly interesting is a large chest suspension of triangular, cast, voluminous plaques with the insertion of a carnelian in the center and round bells at the ends.

   • • Parade weapons.

   The main weapons centers in Dagestan were villages - Kubachi (Dargins), Gotsatl, Harbuk (Avars), Kazi-Kumukh (Laktsy). A separate section in the exposition presents a collection of ceremonial weapons. Therefore, daggers have narrow blades, small handles, abundantly decorated. Vegetable ornament covering the handle and scabbards was performed with great skill, various techniques of artistic metal processing were used (engraving, notching, notching with gold on ivory, black, inlay). There are bilateral daggers, equally magnificently decorated on both sides. Outstanding exhibits of the museum collection are the saber and dagger by the famous master Chalandar and his son. Weapons of the XVIII - XIX centuries. represented by sabers, daggers and flint pistols. The trunk and trunk of which are decorated with vegetable ornament in the technique of notching gold on iron. And the silver frame often changed on one gun several times.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum constantly hosts thematic and personal exhibitions, as well as creative projects of contemporary Dagestani artists. Round tables are held with leading specialists in the field of culture, general educational TV programs from the cycle "Walks through the Museum" (RGC channel), museum collections, specialized excursions for students and schoolchildren are filmed. There is an active activity in the field of scientific publishing, in recent years the museum has already issued about 60 publications. About 50 exhibitions were held, not counting numerous traveling exhibitions throughout the republic. Thus, our museum deservedly has the status of a republican cultural center.

In 2008, our museum turned 50 years old, a whole program of cultural events was planned, one of which is the program of promoting cultural values and aesthetic education in schools of Makhachkala – “Museum Days at School”. Interesting exhibitions are planned. A number of new publications are being prepared: Collection of scientific articles, Guide to the Museum (with English version, for our foreign guests) and a number of booklets on specialized topics.