On June 16, 2026, the State Institution "Institute of World History of the NAS of Ukraine" hosted an International round table "Ukraine and the World of Central Asia. Cultural and Historical Context and Forgotten Names: Ihor Savytsky". The event was held in a hybrid format with the participation of leading scholars, experts, and diplomats from Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The co-organizers were the SI "Institute of World History of the NAS of Ukraine" and the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Ukraine. The discussion was moderated by Yevhen Reutov, Institute's research fellow.
The discussion focused on the historical and cultural interaction between Ukraine and Uzbekistan in the 20th century, as well as the search for and return of the names of Ukrainian cultural and artistic figures who found themselves far from their homeland during the period of totalitarianism and realized their talents in Central Asia.
Special attention was given to the figure of Ihor Vitaliyovych Savytsky – a native of Kyiv, art historian, archaeologist, ethnographer, Honored Artist of the Uzbek SSR, and People's Artist of Karakalpakstan. In 2002, by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, he was posthumously awarded one of the highest state honors – the Order "For Outstanding Merit".
One of the meeting's objectives was to draw attention to the need to identify and return to the Ukrainian cultural space the names of Ukrainian artists and cultural figures whose contributions to national and world culture found new life in Central Asia, thousands of kilometers from Ukraine. That is why the round table's topic brought together historians, philologists, cultural scholars, museum workers, and diplomats.
Andriy Kudryachenko, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Director of the Institute of World History, and Alisher Kurmanov, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Ukraine delivered welcoming remarks.
The speakers emphasized that Ukrainian-Uzbek relations have a long history and a tradition of mutual support. Andriy Kudryachenko outlined the main milestones of Ihor Savytsky's life path and stressed that the figure of this artist, scientist, art historian, archaeologist, and ethnographer exemplifies how cultural heritage can unite rather than divide people and nations.
Alisher Kurmanov expressed hope for the further development of friendly relations between Ukraine and Uzbekistan. He also noted that Uzbekistan hosts benefit-entitled children from affected regions of Ukraine for health improvement, and this initiative will continue this summer.
The main achievement of Ihor Savytsky's life was the creation of the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, which now bears his name. In the art history community, this museum is known as the "Louvre in the desert," and Savytsky himself is often called the "Central Asian Tretyakov" or, comparing him to Paul Gauguin, Karakalpakstan became his "personal Polynesia." The museum's unique collection in Nukus attracts international attention and has made this city one of the important centers on the cultural map of Central Asia.
After the welcoming speeches, a fragment of the documentary film "The Desert of Forbidden Art," created by an American film team, was demonstrated. A video film by the Embassy of Ukraine in Uzbekistan about the launch of a Ukrainian-language audio guide at the Savytsky Museum was also shown. This project was implemented as part of the initiative of Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska to create Ukrainian-language audio guides in museums worldwide.
The floor was given to Mykola Doroshenko, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to Uzbekistan from 2020 to 2025, who facilitated cooperation between the Savytsky Museum in Nukus and the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv. He noted that after the start of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, many joint projects had to be suspended.
Mykola Doroshenko also recalled an important chapter in Ukrainian-Uzbek relations – the participation of Ukrainians in the reconstruction of Tashkent after the devastating earthquake of 1966. It was then that Ukrainian communities were formed in Uzbekistan, and today there are streets, quarters, and districts in the country's capital with Ukrainian names.
An important part of the event was the online communication with Marinika Babanazarova, former director of the Nukus Museum, invited to this position by Ihor Savytsky. Leading the museum for over 30 years, she transformed it into a world-renowned cultural center.
Thanks to international exhibitions, cooperation with the Louvre, participation in congresses, and the attention of documentarians from various countries, Nukus became an important point on the cultural map of the world. Marinika Babanazarova emphasized that the museum's collection is a unique source for research – from the avant-garde of the 20th century and cultural identity to the heritage of Khorezm, decorative and applied arts, and ethnography of the Karakalpak people.
Another guest from Tashkent – Zafara Aliyeva, PhD in Art History, senior research associate of the Institute of Art Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, spoke about Ihor Savytsky's role in preserving the cultural code and awakening the national consciousness of the Karakalpaks during a period when the significance of the cultural heritage of small peoples was often diminished.
Halyna Alaverdova, head of the research department of the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery," recalled the role of Central Asia in preserving Ukrainian scientific and creative intelligentsia during World War II. At that time, dozens of Ukrainian educational and scientific institutions were evacuated to Uzbekistan, including Art Institutes of Kyiv and Kharkiv, the Kharkiv Industrial Institute, and the Odesa Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases.
She also noted the need to continue research on this chapter of common history. According to Mykola Doroshenko, such work can rely on the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Nukus Museum and the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
Hanna Sherman, Honored Journalist of Ukraine, lecturer at the Kyiv I.K. Karpenko-Kary National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television, Director of the Publishing House "Antiquary" and editor-in-chief of the magazine "Antiquary" spoke about the cultural memory. She presented a special issue of the magazine dedicated to the "Uzbek period" of preserving Ukrainian national potential.
This issue highlights the convergence and mutual penetration of cultures, memories and everyday life of evacuated Ukrainian artists, art historical studies of paintings and graphic works of the "Uzbek period", as well as contemporary examples of cooperation between Ukraine and Uzbekistan and mutual support.
Oleh Kupchyk, Associate Professor of the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of Foreign Countries at the Faculty of History of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, supported the idea of further deepening research on Central Asia and its ties with Ukraine. He emphasized that complex issues of intercultural and interstate interaction can only be resolved through joint efforts.
Gulzhamal Madiyeva, researcher at the Institute of Materials Science of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, drew attention to the importance of cultural and historical education. She noted that tourist routes in Uzbekistan, known for its historical monuments – Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara – should be complemented by contemporary artistic culture routes, including visits to the Nukus Museum.
Volodymyr Lakomov, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 2012 to 2020; Farasat Zarrin, Deputy Head of the Diplomatic Mission of the Embassy of Pakistan in Ukraine; Nataliia Vysotska, DSc in Philology, Professor of KNLU; Yulia Fil, researcher and head of the South Asian Studies Center at the A.Yu. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of the NAS of Ukraine; Ostap Kovalchuk, Honored Artist of Ukraine, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University; Olena Bordilovska, DSc. in Politics, were among the guests of the event.
Mridula Ghosh, poet, translator, and diplomat, and Prof. Ulfat Mukhibova, DSc in Philology, Uzbek Indologist, joined the round table in online format. Oleksandr Kondratenko, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Kyiv Diplomatic", also participated in the round table. An extended report on the event will be published in the next issue of the magazine.
The proposal to join efforts to create, prospectively, a Center for Central Asian Studies was among the main conclusions of the round table. Such a platform could facilitate the implementation of interdisciplinary projects related to the development of Ukrainian-Central Asian cultural, historical, and scientific interaction.
Participants emphasized that the reappearance of Ihor Savytsky's name in the Ukrainian cultural space is an important step toward restoring historical justice. The figure of the outstanding Kyiv native, whose life and work are studied at leading universities worldwide, requires broader understanding in Ukraine – his historical homeland.
Information is provided by the State Institution "Institute of World History"