Today, 30 April 2026, at the State Institution “National Museum” of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, a special exhibition of works by the renowned Tajik artist Abdullo Ashurov titled “Abdullo Ashurov – Master of the Tajik School of Painting” was officially opened in celebration of the 35th anniversary of State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan and in line with the initiatives of the “Year of Expanding Beautification and Construction Works, and Strengthening National Identity and Self-Awareness.”
The event was opened by Alisher Najmiddin Zarifi, First Deputy Director of the National Museum, who warmly welcomed the guests to the National Museum and congratulated the audience on the opening of the exhibition.
The exhibition was organized with the aim of honoring one of the outstanding masters of national art and promoting the classical Tajik school of painting. During the event, speeches were delivered by Nargis Hamidova, Chairperson of the Union of Artists of Tajikistan, Sirojiddin Jurakhonzoda, Rector of the State Institute of Fine Arts and Design of Tajikistan, and Anvarsho Sayfuddinov, renowned artist, educator, and Honored Art Worker of Tajikistan. In their remarks, they highlighted the lasting artistic legacy of Abdullo Ashurov and his significant contribution to the development of the modern Tajik school of painting.
The exhibition features 16 paintings — rare masterpieces from the golden collection of the National Museum — presented to visitors. These works reflect important stages in the formation of Tajik statehood and the creative life of the people throughout different periods of the artist’s career. Visitors — including the staff of the National Museum, students and teachers of the State Institute of Fine Arts and Design of Tajikistan, the Mirzo Tursunzoda State Institute of Culture and Arts of Tajikistan, the M. Olimov Republican College of Fine Arts, the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University, and representatives of the mass media — had the opportunity to closely explore the artist’s well-known works in various genres, including classical portraiture, landscapes of the mountainous homeland, and depictions of historical moments.
Among the masterpieces on display are such notable works as “Self-Portrait,” “Hissar Sheep,” “Distribution of the Harvest,” “Varzob Hydropower Plant: A People’s Construction Project,” and other valuable paintings.
Abdullo Ashurov (1904–1976) was the founder of modern fine arts in Tajikistan, an Honored Art Worker of the Tajik SSR, and one of the country’s first professional artists. He played a historic role not only in the development of national art, but also in establishing the Tajik school of painting and mentoring dozens of distinguished students, thus nurturing a new generation of artists. His works, which received awards at international exhibitions, are today preserved as invaluable cultural heritage in the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow) and in Tajikistan’s national collections.
The exhibition “Abdullo Ashurov – Master of the Tajik School of Painting”, as a symbol of respect for ancestral heritage and the strengthening of national identity, will continue until 20 May 2026.
