These summer days, as it goes by tradition, the cultural life in Uzbekistan is as spectacular and replete as anytime round the year, as replenishing with new interesting events. The considerable part of these cultural events are focused on numerous museums of the country, whose rich and diverse expositions appeal to the ever growing numbers of visitors with every new day. Those include the Tamara Khonim Memorial Museum-House that has been currently preparing for an interesting and bright event for the upcoming Independence Day.

The talented artist Tamara Khonim (1906-1991) made a colossal contribution to the development of the Uzbek dancing art, by laying down the foundations of major national dances. The Farghona-born artist used to love dancing from her early age and actively participated in street festivities – sayils. The talent of the young girls did not leave unnoticed and quite soon she started touring around Uzbekistan as the member of the concert band of the renowned musician Mukhitdin Qori-Yoqubov, with whom she later tied the knot.

Tamara Khonim partook in the World Exhibition of Decorative Art in Paris, where she brilliantly performed the Uzbek national songs and dances. Her performance at the International Festival of Dance in London was also no less triumphant. She was awarded the golden medal for her beautiful showcase of Uzbek dances. However, it was the Khorazm dance Lazgi that made her widely famous which she created basing on the profound study of the Uzbek national art, in particular, such folk dances as Mavrigi, Rumalim, and Bartavil. The outstanding dancer had other more successes and achievements, various awards and titles. For the years of creative activity Tamara Khonim went on touring across the globe, demonstrating all the charm of the Uzbek dancing art.

While at her lifetime, a permanent exhibition of Costumes of Tamara Khonim was organized at the house of the artist. Later, there was founded a Memorial Museum-House with the rich collection of dancing costumes of the artist in the highlight. Stage attires of the dancer charm all visiting the museum. The collection includes national dresses of the Azerbaijan, Armenian, Egyptian, Indian, Karakalpak, Korean, Lithuanian and many other peoples. All this demonstrates the wider and diverse creative activity of Tamara Khonim. According to the museum director Zubaida Muzaffarova, each costume is of special story. Many of them the artist received as a present from such famous persons as Mao Zedong, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others. Among those costumes there was luxurious attire that belonged to a wife of one of the Bukhoro amirs (rulers) and then turned the property of Tamara Khonim.

One of the halls of the museum displays the photographs depicting various periods of the artist’s life. The museum also offers the dancer’s manuscripts, paintings, household articles, letters and gifts. Visitors demonstrate keen interest in interiors of living rooms which Tamara Khonim lived in her last years of life in.

“It is pleasant that the museum exposition enjoys great popularity with the youth. Young amateurs of the arts as well as young designers visit the museum,” tells Zubaida Muzaffarova. “Various actions, exhibitions, concerts with participation of dancing collectives are organized in the museum on the regular basis. All holidays are marked, including jubilees of Tamara Khonim. Currently, we prepare for the festivity timed to the Independence Day, while details of it we keep in secret.” (Source: Uzbekistan Today newspaper)