About Union of Artists

About members of Union of Artists of Kazakhstan

The Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a creative public organization that unites about 1,200 professional artists: sculptors, painters, graphic artists, artists of monumental and decorative and applied art, masters of folk art and art historians.
The Union has 15 branches in various regions of the country. Branches are part of the structure of the Union and are not independent legal entities. CX RK is divided into sections.
The Union of Artists of Kazakhstan is an association of professional artists working in different types and genres of fine arts. Its goals are to promote the creativity of artists-members of the Union of Artists in the republican and international arena, provide information, social and legal support, hold exhibitions, publishing and promotional activities.
According to the Charter, the supreme body of the Union is the Congress, which is convened at least once every four years. During the break between the Congresses, the governing body is the Board of the Union, elected for a term of four years. The operational management of the Union is carried out by the Secretariat, elected from the Board for a period also of four years.
The Union of Artists has its own office space, creative workshops and production area, which is currently under renovation.
Fine art of Kazakhstan in its classical academic format is not traditional for Kazakhstan, and was actually created within the framework of the Union of Artists in about 70 years of the 20th century.
The creation of the Union of Artists was preceded by a significant preparatory period. In 1932-1933, the Orgburo was created, in 1936 - the organizing committee of Kazakh artists. These organizations were engaged in the registration of artists working in Kazakhstan, organized exhibitions, studios, carried out work to consolidate artists and systematize their creative work. At the same time, the cooperative "Kazhudozhnik" worked, fulfilling orders for works of art. At the initiative of the organizing committee and its active assistance, in the late 1930s, the first art school and the first art gallery were opened in Kazakhstan.
The Union of Artists was formed in 1933 under the leadership of the Organizing Committee of Soviet Artists under the Council of People's Commissars of the Kazakh SSR, and on June 26, 1940, with the participation of Moscow artists, the first Republican Congress of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan was held, at which the charter was adopted and the first membership books were issued to a group of Kazakh artists. It was attended by 8 regional branches of the Union of Artists, formed by this year.
Georgy Brylov, who graduated from the Academy of Arts of the USSR, was elected the first chairman of the Union, and Abylkhan Kasteev was elected deputy for creative issues. In 1940, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Board of the Union of Artists of the USSR, 19 artists of Kazakhstan were accepted as members of the Union of Artists of the USSR.
The first members of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan were: Abylkhan Kasteev, Nikolai Krutilnikov, Alexei Bortnikov, Alexander Ponomarev, Aubakir Ismailov and others.

In subsequent years, at the congresses of the Unions of Artists, the chairmen of the Union were elected: Mikhail Belov (1951), Abylkhan Kasteev (1954), Khakimzhan Naurzbaev (1956), Sabur Mambeev (1959), Nikolai Gaev (1962), Kanafia Telzhanov (1965), Sabur Mambeev (1968 to 1982), Shaken Niyazbekov (1982), Amen Khaidarov (1986), Yerkin Mergenov (1987-1993), Tulegen Dosmagambetov (1993-1995) .), Sabur Mambeev (1995-1997), Yerkin Mergenov (1998-2009), Baitursyn Umorbekov (since 2009).
Among the most significant exhibition projects that took place in the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan over the past 10 years, the following should be mentioned: an exhibition of artists of Kazakhstan in the exposition of the International Confederation of Unions of Artists "The Art of Nations" (Moscow, 2002), an exhibition in celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, 2003). Republican exhibitions of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan are held annually in Alma-Ata. Currently, work is underway on the project “History of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan in documents and photo illustrations”, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2008. In 1999, 1,000,000 tenge (approximately 8,000 USD) were allocated for the anniversary exhibition , publication of a guide and holding anniversary celebrations in connection with the 60th anniversary of the official date of the organization of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan (60th anniversary of the 1st Republican Congress of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
For 86 years of development, the names of Kazakh masters have become known throughout the former USSR. Their works are included in the expositions and funds of the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of the Arts of the Peoples of the East, museums in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, etc.