The Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1927 by the initiative of Russian sculptor Mr. Karelin A.A. However only in 1939 it got the status of the Fine Arts Museum of Turkmenistan. In 2006 the museums moved to a new building. It has an eclectic collection of artwork; more than 6,000 exhibits include paintings, sculpture, and graphics by Turkmen and foreign artists. Among the local painters there are the beginners of Turkmen fine art: A. Hagiev, I. Ilisli, Klycheva, Bairamova, S.Babikov.
The collection of West-European paintings includes the works of Italian, Dutch, Flemish, German and English masters. The most valuable ones are the sections of Italian and Dutch paintings. Among them there are the works of Geinpetrino, Raphael Santy, Jan van Goeyn and several other paintings. The original decorative panel with two “dragons” facing each other, from the portal of 15th c Annau mosque is on a display at the Fine Arts Museum of Turkmenistan too. The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays; from 9 AM till 5 PM.
