ISSN: 2278-4853 Special Issue, March, 2020 Impact Factor: SJIF 2020 = 6.882
TRANS
Asian Research Journals
http://www.tarj.in
75
Special
Issue
MAIN BODY
After the war in 1920, Alexander Nikolayev came to Uzbekistan with a group of young artists
and architects from Moscow. He spent his first years in Samarkand when he arrived in
Uzbekistan. It helped him grow creatively. Ancient Orientalism, vibrant colors, vivid patterns
and exquisite miniatures gave him a deeper penetration into fine arts. During his first two years
in Samarkand, Nikolaev tried to create his own style diligently. However, his first works
included colorful ornaments for performances and mythological images like “Suvoriy yigitlar”
(“The horsemen”.1920), “Cholvorli ayollar” (1920), “Ming bir kecha” (“One thousand nights”.
1920). It was as if that the nature of Uzbekistan became more vivid
in the eyes of the artist, but at
the same times it was a dream that had not been captured in his works yet or, on the contrary, a
dream that came true. It is hard to believe that these works were made by a 20th-century artist.
He not only learned the Oriental art, but also absorbed it and devoted himself to it. His first
creative work was "Otda o’tirgan bola" (“The boy on a horse”. 1922) In 1924, under the
pseudonym of Master Mumin, he presented his works at a large exhibition called "Old
Samarkand". Many of his friends and art lovers from other countries came to the exhibition.
Among the lovers, a girl named Ada attracted Master Mumin’s attention whom Alexander later
met and married. “In 1920-1928 A. Nikolaev studied and described the ancient East, the history
of Uzbekistan with great interest. He did not portray as Oriental-mythical, heavenly as some
other artists”
2
. He deeply felt the nature, the people’s lifestyle of Uzbekistan and began to paint
its natural beauty in bright colors.
Nikolaev spoke to many artists in Samarkand, and followed their creations. He was keenly
interested in the nature of Uzbekistan and sought to explain the eternal unity of public life and
the environment. He was also interested in the life of Central Asian peoples and followed their
national ceremonies and festivals. The artist began to perceive all the beauty of these things -
ornamental architecture, colorful trees, green fields under the open sky, hills, and surroundings.
Moreover, Alexander Nikolayev had a great interest in folk art and deeply learned the nation’s
most prominent representatives’ creations. He was fond of the aesthetic aspects of Uzbek art. As
he embarked on the spirit of folk art and he sought to rid himself of his artistic approaches,
ceased to create works of apparent imitation. Understanding the elegance of folk applied art and
their internal regularities, the artist then began to create works that resonate with the traditions of
Oriental art.
In Shakhrisabz, the carpenter was fascinated by the art of Mirsayid Sabirov and worked on his
portrait. This portrait can be said to be a symbol of respect and repute for talented artists. In the
artist's work, the forms seem to represent the perfect image of nature. “Looking at the delicacy of
the ornaments, you will inadvertently come to mind Botticelli's paintings, miniatures of Iran and
Central Asia. All such assumptions are valid. Indeed, all his passions are absorbed in classical art
and interspersed with his personal impressions, and he found his own masterful believer's
interpretation. Nikolayev considers luxury, precision and music as hallmarks of art, and his
understanding of the world. The more complicated Nikolayev's appeal to the East and the West
is, the more difficult and unpredictable the relationship between condition and reality in his work
is”
3
.
Throughout his career, Master Mumin mastered the art of Orientalism and gained experience in
lyrical interpretation of art content, expression of artistic elegance in combination with form and
color. “Not only was the actuality of the topic, but it was also important for Nikolaev in terms of
