The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan opens the exhibition “Steppe Palette” on January 22 at 3 p.m., dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the birth of N.G. Khludov, an outstanding painter, ethnographer, local historian, member of the Turkestan Archeology Lovers’ Circle, founder of the Semirechensk Department of the Russian Geographical Society.

The Kazakh people have always been interested in traditions and customs, and the need for the continuity of generations. The people carefully preserve and preserve the unique charm of the traditional life of the Kazakh steppe and the wisdom of its way of life.

Nikolay Gavrilovich Khludov (1850-1935 .) – a prominent Russian artist, a talented painter who lived in Semirechye almost all his life, arriving in Kazakhstan in 1879. Kazakhstan has become a source of creative inspiration for the artist. Traveling around the country, the master created a large number of sketches and sketches in which he captured different views and the beauty of nature. A special place in the artist’s work is occupied by works reflecting the traditional culture, way of life and economy of the Kazakh people of the 19th- early 20th centuries.

The world of N.G.Khludov’s works is a combination of the expression of delight, sincerity and brightness of feelings of the real beauty of wildlife he saw, the ability to appreciate its splendor and capture the rich flavor and diversity of national steppe traditions, customs and lifestyle of the Kazakh people.

The most significant part of his legacy (211 works) is kept in the collections of the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, of which 117 paintings, 39 pencil sketches, 55 watercolors and 3 albums with sketches and sketches. Such paintings by the artist as “Night Barymta”, “Rich nomad”, “Migration into the storm”, “Cattle driving”, “Milking”, “Kazakh woman by the campfire”, “Spinning wool”, “Singer in the Kazakh circle”, “Weaver” and others are widely known. Most of the master’s masterpieces are on display at the exhibition, along with personal items (furniture, camera, easel, etc.) and photographic and documentary materials.

The purpose of the exhibition is to acquaint the public with the priceless creative heritage of the outstanding painter N.G.Khludov, to demonstrate to the viewer a realistic reproduction of the traditional way of life and everyday life of Kazakhs, characters in their ethnic most characteristic features.

The writer Yu.Dombrovsky, being a true admirer of Nikolai Khludov’s talent, wrote: “… he painted not only steppes and mountains, but also the degree of amazement and delight that everyone feels when they first come to this unusual land…each of his canvases rejoices and laughs with joy.”… “I love Khludov for the freshness, for the joy, for the fullness of life, for the beauty of the events that he saw and brought to the canvas. I love him for the sun that hits me from all his paintings. Or more clearly and simply: I love and understand him the way children love and understand…wonderful greeting cards, shiny transfer pictures, children’s books with bright lacquered covers.”

Khludov’s works are a unique and priceless artistic heritage. In 2003, for the first time, the museum published a catalog album, which included most of the artist’s works from the stock collection of the Central State Museum.

The exhibition presents more than 100 works by N.Khludov from the funds of the Central Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including genre paintings, portraits, landscape sketches, watercolors, objects from the artist’s personal complex.

The exhibition will run until February 24, 2025.