Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Over the past seven years, several new cultural and artistic institutions have been established in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

In particular, children's music and art schools with a capacity of 150 students have been newly built and put into operation in the districts of Muynak, Khojayli, Ellikkala, and Chimbay. Additionally, a specialized boarding school for opera and bakhshi art was constructed in Nukus.

Amphitheater buildings were also built in Muynak, Bozatov, Chimbay, and Kungrad districts. As part of the investment program, the Republican Library for the Blind was newly constructed.

The construction of new buildings for the Karakalpak State Youth Theater and the Karakalpak State Puppet Theater was completed, and the buildings were put into operation.

Additionally, the Karakalpak State Musical Theater named after Berdakh was granted the status of an “Academic Theater.”

Between 2017 and 2024, 15 cultural and artistic institutions were newly built, 10 institutions were reconstructed, and 18 institutions underwent major renovations and were equipped to improve cultural infrastructure.

Currently, there are 99 cultural institutions in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, including 3 state and 1 private theater, 5 concert organizations, 60 cultural centers, 3 specialized schools for culture and the arts (including a boarding school), 24 children's music and art schools, 2 higher education institutions, and the Republican Library for the Blind with 9 branches.

On January 23, a press tour was organized to several regions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan with media participation to showcase the activities of cultural institutions and ongoing reforms.

The event began with a meeting at the Youth Center building in Nukus, where the Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, Ozodbek Nazarbekov, met with young talents from Karakalpakstan. The meeting was attended by about 200 gifted young people studying and working in the fields of culture and arts, as well as state award winners and laureates of international competitions.

The next stop of the press tour was the “Khalkabad” Cultural Center, building No. 31, in the Kegeyli district.

At the expanded meeting of the Republican Council for Spirituality and Enlightenment, chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on December 22, 2023, an order was given to establish model cultural centers in each district, equipped with a stage hall, a library, a cinema hall, and club rooms. Following this directive, this process is gradually being implemented in all regions of the country.

Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov visited the cultural center and familiarized himself with its facilities.

The "Khalkabad" Cultural Center was originally built in 1963 but had fallen into disrepair. The old building was demolished, and reconstruction work was carried out with 2.7 billion UZS in funding. The center was rebuilt and reopened in 2024. It is now fully equipped with modern facilities, including over 25 musical instruments, sound amplifiers, and educational materials.

The center, designed to accommodate 168 people, hosts five clubs (textile arts, dance, guitar, puppet theater, and singing), involving nearly 60 local youth.

Additionally, the cultural center features a small library and a cinema hall for public screenings.

Currently, this cultural center serves over 35,000 residents.

For reference, there are 837 cultural centers across Uzbekistan (60 in Karakalpakstan), hosting nearly 4,000 clubs involving over 48,000 young people.

During the visit to the "Khalkabad" Cultural Center, visitors explored its facilities, and a comedy film, Yasha Xotin, produced under a state commission, was screened for the residents of Kegeyli district.

The next destination was the No. 4 Children's Music and Art School in Khojayli district.

The school was founded in 1957 and was reconstructed in 2019 under the Presidential Decree No. PQ-2435, dated November 20, 2015, which aimed to improve the functioning of children's music and art schools for 2016-2020. The reconstruction was completed with a budget of 4.95 billion UZS.

The school has a capacity of 150 students but currently educates more than 180 children. The facility includes a 150-seat concert hall, a library, and 25 classrooms. The library holds over 470 musical books and sheet music collections.

Currently, 32 teachers work at the school, including 14 with higher education, 7 with secondary education, and 11 with incomplete higher education.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the school offers training in eight disciplines: piano, string instruments, folk instruments, bakhshi-jirov, pop music, choreography, fine arts, and theater arts.

Notably, school students have achieved great success, with Orinbayeva Erkinay (2022) and Qudaybergenova Gulshinar (2023) receiving the prestigious Zulfiya State Award.

Additionally, the school’s students actively participate in competitions and festivals, achieving high results.

Minister of Culture Ozodbek Nazarbekov visited the school, inspected the conditions, and spoke with teachers and students. He also gifted a voucher worth 250 million UZS to strengthen the school’s material and technical base.

The next stop was the construction site of the Nukus branch of the Uzbekistan State Conservatory.

According to the Presidential Decree No. PQ-404, issued on December 25, 2023, 27 billion UZS were allocated for the construction and renovation of a 300-seat educational building for the conservatory branch in 2024. Currently, renovation work is in progress, with the completion scheduled for the second half of 2025.

As of today, the Ministry of Culture oversees 365 educational institutions across Uzbekistan, including 29 in Karakalpakstan (3 specialized arts schools, 24 children's music and art schools, and 2 higher education institutions). These institutions educate over 112,000 students, with more than 18,000 teachers.

During the press tour, the Benom music group performed a concert as part of the "Journey with a Star" project at Dostlik Square in Nukus.

According to Presidential Decree No. PQ-406, dated December 25, 2023, the “Journey with a Star” project was established to enhance cultural services for the public.

On January 23, at 18:00, a concert featuring project guests took place at Independence Square in Nukus, drawing over 5,000 spectators.

Additionally, in the "Karakalpakstan Art Palace," the films Uch Qahramon and Yasha Xotin, produced under a state commission, were screened for the public.

The press tour concluded with a briefing led by Sirojiddin Usarov, the head of the Ministry of Culture's press service and advisor to the minister on information policy, summarizing the events of January 22-23.

For additional information, it was noted that Minister Ozodbek Nazarbekov personally participated in several meetings and events in Karakalpakstan during his visit.

Notably, he met with the Chairman of the Jokargy Kenes of Karakalpakstan, Amanbay Tleubayevich Orinbayev.

He also held an extended board meeting of the Ministry of Culture, reviewing the results of 2024.

Furthermore, he attended a performance of the opera Ajiniyoz at the Berdakh Karakalpak State Academic Musical Theater.

Finally, the minister presented over 20 cultural professionals with the “Culture and Art Devotee” badge and the "Algis-2024" award in a ceremonial event.