FAIRY TALES OF BAKHADIR YULDASHEV

Today I had an opportunity to be at Bakhadir Yuldashev’s personal exhibition of paintings. The name of the exhibition is ‘Tale of Wandering’ which straight let me think about another world where wonders can easily happen and there are no limits or borders which exist in our minds in real life.

Bakhadir Yuldashev is a famous artist in our country; he is one of the talented and significant representatives of modern art in Uzbekistan. By the way this sphere is developing and progressing, I didn’t know that we have so many talented and devoted artists. When I was standing outside and waiting for exhibition I was surprised by number of people coming to the exhibition and I noticed that these people really loved art, they didn’t come just for leisure.

In three halls there were 70 paintings which had been painted in the period of 2015-2016. This means the painter has a very good productivity and passion for art. The painter is not only saying and describing traditional fairy tales of Uzbek nation but it looks like he lives inside his pictures and believes in beauty of magical world.

As a beautiful leitmotif some of traditional images of wandering dervishes, gorgeous maiden - Peri, puppeteers and actors are smoothly repeated in the paintings. They are not irritating but they call us to come in and show us the wonderful things which cannot be seen by ordinary eye. You have to take time and peer into the picture and only then you will see how picture becomes alive and there are different actions and story in every fairy tale.

I moved from one picture to another realizing more and more amazing vivid imagination of the painter and just enjoyed by vanishing in fairy tales’ world. If you need some magic in your life look at the paintings of Bakhadir Yuldashev, I suppose you will get some inspiration to overcome difficulty and vanity of our world.

INTERNATIONAL UZBEK TOURISM FAIR 2016

Yesterday I went to event devoting development of tourism in our country. It was the 4^th annual tourism fair but I was there for the first time. At first glance I liked the name of the event ‘The world of leisure’. Everybody likes leisure) Don’t we?

Presenatation of Yurt Hotel in Karakalpakstan

The event took place a little bit far from the centre of Tashkent, at the Exhibition Hall ‘Qorgazma Savdo Markazi’ situated near metro station Beruniy, about 15 minutes by taxi from the center. During 2 days all the organizations, sponsors, investors who related somehow to the sphere of tourism attend the fair, and a lot of people just come to watch and be the part of this event. It was good opportunity for making personal meetings for businessmen and establishing new contacts.

When I come I saw crowds of people near some tables. Coming closer I felt alluring smell of Uzbek Plov. As it turned out in the frames of Tourism Fair there was Festival of traditional food outside. Cooks from different parts of our country came to let visitors taste the dishes which they can find only in their regions. It wasn’t for free, but prices were not high.

Inside the Exhibition Hall I noticed a great majority of sellers: from clothes to handicrafts. The atmosphere was lively and noisy. Some sellers were from distant regions of Uzbekistan and it was interesting to see all the diversity and variety of traditional handicrafts, clothes, souvenirs and other things.

For example, I liked silk scarves from Andijan, it costs 2,9$. Purse from Kashkadarya is for 3,1$. Interesting and funny toys from Yangiyol, near Tashkent. Chapans (Uzbek traditional robe) you can find the shop in Chorsu bazaar, chapan costs from 8$ to 32$. Depends on summer/winter robe and design. 

Good souvenirs were presented by shop situated near Maxim Gorky metro station, price is 0,6$-5$. Navoi handmade napkins and towels were wonderful, 4-5$ for one. And knives from Karakalpakstan I think useful and nice present, prices from 7$ to 32$. 

And one more thing I liked the most are Christmas and New Year decorations, toys painted in the style of traditional Uzbek patterns. Lovely.

P.S. Periodically there are different events where you can go to see or buy interesting stuff, often it is called handmade fair. If you are in Tashkent, be sure to ask about these kinds of events.

OHANGARON

This weekend I went to the area of Ohangoron city. It’s not so far from Tashkent, about 80 km or 1,5 hour by minibus. I found out about this excursion from Facebook, group Excursomania. There are different guides who periodically organize tours around Uzbekistan in this group. It can be religious or historical places, famous traditional buildings or old architecture, topical tours etc., you can find it here https://www.facebook.com/groups/excursomania/

Of course all the information in Russian but I think if you write message to guides you will be answered.  

The name of our tour was ‘Spring in the valley of the Ohangaron river’. The cost of the tour was 11$, consists of road expenses and guide fee. Lunch’s cost is at your disposal, mine was 1,5$. So, total trip expenses are 12,5$. We met in front of Uzbekistan Hotel at 8:30 in the morning and returned at 19:00; number of group members was 10 persons. Istana minibus was comfortable and speedy transport.

While we were going to poppy fields the guide told us historical facts about Ohangaron region. Since ancient times it was place of inhabitance of vagrant tribes. Khans or kings of these tribes performed the coronation ceremony on the bank of the Ohangaron river. There are three places in Uzbekistan where the earliest signs of human-beings’ life were found. And one of them is near modern Ohangaron city, territory named Kyzilalmasay. The remains of Paleolithic Neanderthal were found in this territory which means it was 60,000 BC. Even the remains of mammoth were found here but it is big discussion about existence of mammoths in this territory. Some scientists affirm that it was not mammoth but something between mammoth and elephant. And on this interesting topic we arrived to watch poppy fields.

It was very bright and beautiful to walk through high grass and enjoy vivid colors of the nature. After it we went to see petroglyphs (rock paintings). It’s not so easy to climb all the hills to find them but after 20 minutes of walking we saw it and it was worth our efforts. Amazing how ancient people did it. They draw the things which were important for them, they draw hunting and animals. Interesting, that paintings become clearer after pouring some water on it. So you can enjoy enough the paintings after the rain. We were told that petroglyphs also have sacred meaning but now we will never know for sure what exactly people of that time wanted to express through the art.

Before the rain

After the rain

On the way to lunch we saw archaeological excavations. Scientists explore and study the earth layers to know when the first human being life was here. We had lunch in local Uzbek road café, delicious, simple and cheap. The last stop was mosque, sacred place – Gumbaz bobo and Paygambar ota in Susam village.

Inside the old mosque

Tired but happy we went home. Ohangaron area is interesting place to visit because it’s like faceted stone: historical and sacred places from the one side, wild and beautiful nature from the other side. You can kill two birds with one stone ;)