The Year of Kazakhstan open in Russia

In the exhibition hall of Tretyakovskaya gallery an exhibition of Kazakhstani art "New Tendencies" is open. 50 canvases from the president's cultural centre museum in Astana and the State museum of arts named after A.Kasteyev are presented.

At the opening of the exhibition Mukhtar Kool-Mohammed, minister of culture, information and social accord of Kazakhstan, and Mikhail Shwydkoy, minister of culture of Russia were present.

"I believe that today even our specialists have little idea about the modern art of Kazakhstan. And this exhibition to some extent can fill this gap", - M.Shwydkoy said.

Among the most famous canvases - works by Sergey Kalmykov ("Allegory", "Dawn" and "Cavalier Moth on promenade") and by Abylkhan Kasteyev - "Issyk lake". Besides, Muscovites and the guests of capital will be able to see works by avant-garde artists Yerbolat Tolepbai, who received the Salvador Dali premium in 2002. The fine art of Kazakhstan is represented not only by paintings, but also by decorative pictures made of leather, wool, tapestry, wood and iron.

"We brought the pictures of those artists, who opened new currents in the art and influenced it", - Guljan Mamirova, deputy director of the president's cultural centre advised a KZ-today correspondent in Astana.

The presentation of Kazakhstani canvases has become the first official measure within the Year of Kazakhstan in Russia. The solemn opening of the Year of Kazakhstan in Russia will take place today, on 18 February, and tonight the Kazakhstani artists will make a solemn performance on the new stage of the Bolshoy theatre in Russia.