Nukus

Our trip ended in Nukus, a city famous for one thing: the Savitsky Museum. Home to 90,000 pieces of art, only a fraction of it is on display. If the museum were anywhere else, the collection of Soviet Avant Garde versus Socialist Realism would have been confiscated, but because the founder, Igor Savistky, a Ukrainian electrician-turned-artist, had a good relationship with the city, the polarizing styles of art under the Stalin era remained in safe hands. Its size and variety is second only to a museum in Saint Petersburg. While most tourists use Nukus as the starting point for trekking to the Aral Sea, the museum alone would warrant a visit even as a day trip from Tashkent. You could catch a mid-morning flight (nothing opens before 11:00) and walk 30 minutes to the museum. Maybe you pick up a coffee at Cinnamon Cafe across the street beforehand. Spend an hour or two at the museum and then head to Sofram for some Turkish food. Walk back to the airport and head home to Tashkent.

My favorite piece

Socialist Realism: glorifying labor

Trying to make art fun

Schlink Fall break
Day 1: Urgench/Khiva
Day 2: Forts/Yurt Camp/Camels
Day 3: Bo'ston Museum/Forts/Truck-Stop Lagman
Day 4: Nukus/Savitsky Museum