MUSEUMS OF KYRGYZSTAN. WILL THE RESUSCITTION BE?
Social upheaval of recent years has moved the culture of the country including
the museum field far away. Will the government revive the gasping industry?
ABDUMOMUN MAMARAYIMOV, VOICE OF FREEDOM, BISHKEK
The initial target of our investigation was to identify how museums of
Kyrgyzstan use budget funds for the intended purpose? The museum workers
have nothing to steal. They have been allocated money only for salaries and
utility services payment almost from the Independence Day (1991). Sometimes
some of them are lucky to get money for travelling expenses and equipment
purchase, but the amounts are ridiculous like the salary of employees...
We found 27-year old Seyit Malayev, head of the museum fund of the
Memorial complex by Russian explorer Nikolay Przhewalskiy in the courtyard
of the museum, where he was painting the statue at the entrance to the museum.
He receives a salary of 3,300 soms (about $ 70), a third of the salary he spends
on the road, as he lives 12 kilometers away from the work place. Because of the
shortage of staff he has to be a restorer, guide ... and janitor at the same time.
The average salary of a qualified employee at museum in Kyrgyzstan is 5000
soms (about $ 100), which is almost equal to the subsistence minimum. The
amount of salary was almost half less until 2010.
The authorities do not have to think about other museum needs in the most
difficult economic conditions. The external public debt has reached $ 3 billion,
despite the fact that the country's GDP amounted to only $ 6.3 billion in 2012.
NOT ENOUGH MONEY, GO ON BOARD TO RED LINE DISTRICT!
Competent specialists of museum are becoming the museum rarity. We’ve
visited 4 regions of Kyrgyzstan and noted that only enthusiasts work in
museums now. And most of them are aged 50 years or even 60. Such
professionals are not trained in our country’s Academies; there aren’t
professional development courses, which were being used in Soviet Union
times. Relations with the museums of Russia and other countries have been also
lost.
Our efforts to get statistics on museum employees’ age failed. The Ministry of
Culture doesn’t have such analysis. But two years ago, head of the museum, the
then Minister of Culture Nurlanbek Shakiyev, speaking at a meeting with the
President Roza Otunbayeva, said that 70 percent of the museum staff was the
people of retirement age.
Attitude of the authorities to museums means the attitude to the history of the
country against the background of inspirational speeches about patriotism and
love for the ancient history of the Kyrgyz people most clearly shown by the
example of the city Karakol, the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region.
Ordinary museum employees’ salary is about 2,700 soms (about $ 55) per
month. Laws give local governments the right to charge a salary of
professionals in the field of culture based on the capabilities of the budget.
But…
In 2011 the Karakol Gorkenesh had decided to pay 50 % extra salary to the
employees of culture field. Museums were included in that list too…and in
2013 the Karakol authorities changed that decision. The authorities of the city
were widely advertised that up in 2012 they had saved 22 million soms in the
budget. The deputies had assured 100,000 soms to son of their colleagues to
participate in international competitions. 600,000 soms were only required to
supplement culture field staff salary....
Museum employees were rebuked by the City Financial Department on bad
work and inability to ask questions to the local deputes. The employees of the
City Culture Department are complaining that in response to numerous requests
for additional payment to the salary to the local deputies they have often heard
the reproaches: "Why do we need museums, nobody visits them!"
Alik Asanov’s salary, the Director of the Culture Department & Information
and Tourism in Karakol is only 6,000 soms. Under the new structure of the
government he is responsible for the tourism development too.
"Wage system had been changed in 2011, salary increase was promised ...
long-service pay was incentive but a young employee should work hard on 3000
soms during 10 years to live up to that! But there aren’t such fans today ... ,"
Asanov had said.
"Employees of the museums have to save on everything .., it is gloomy, the
culture has been brought to its knees, it’s damp and cold in museums in winter
time," the anonymous employee of the Culture Department says. "Recently one
of the city officials on our indignation openly declared, «If there isn’t enough
money, go on board! "(A gathering place for prostitutes.. - Ed.)
Old age of these people is also not encouraging. In the early 1990s 66-year old
Raykhan Baybachaeva worked in the museum as a director, cleaner and watch
at a salary 370 soms. Salary had not been issued for months, people were
leaving.
Pension of 288 soms was assigned later. That was almost the cost of a bag of
flour - the main diet of the general population. Now to the pension, the amount
of which she doesn’t want to mention, she gets an increase of 1,500 soms ($ 32)
working three hours a day as a Board Veterans Secretary.
Need, coupled with the lack of control and impunity creates another problem –
theft of museum exhibits.
DON’T BE CAUGHT, NOT A THIEF.
During the investigation we often heard about the loss of valuable museum
exhibits. But today no one can assess the damage to museums in the last 22
years of independence. In the country that has experienced three major social
upheavals over the years, it would appear that the disappearance of the exhibits
is the question unworthy of attention.
Material damage to the country economy after two riots in March 2005 and
April 2010's, the ethnic conflict in the summer of 2010 is estimated in billions.
The perpetrators of the robbery of millions of dollars during two events have
not been punished, although their names are called out aloud.
The status of registration and storage of museum collections of the country
clearly shows an example of the State Historical Museum. The museum's
director Anarkul Isirailova said that before she became director it had been
officially store 100,000 exhibits. Inventory done under her authority revealed
that there were 35 thousand (!) more.
“Official figures are swimming too. According to the Ministry of Culture, there
were about 256,000 exhibits in the museums of the country and they became a
total of about 288,000 in 2012. The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan had been
considering the matter of the museum gave the version more than 304 thousand.
Former and current employees of museums have noted the relevance of
museum exhibits loss, but they aren’t ready to share information. Probably they
are afraid of losing job though not very prestigious.
Zinagul Kambarova, the Culture Department Head (the Aksu district Issyk-Kul
region) told us about the disappearance of a museum with all the artifacts. After
the collapse of the USSR, the museum was closed and nobody knows the fate of
the hundreds of exhibits now.
"There were a lot of silver and other valuable things which you can’t buy for
money now. We have opened a new museum and we have again started
collecting the artifacts with difficulty ..., " Kambarova has sighed.
According to museum staff, all attempts to find traces of these jewels haven’t
been successful. They are bought by private collectors, hundreds of whom you
can find among the tourists coming to the Lake Issyk-Kul. There are also local
hunters for antiques making business on buying and selling them.
According to Raykan Baybachaeva, a lot of silver was stolen from a museum by
Przhewalskiy last century. A lot of rumors are going around the loss of other
museum exhibits, especially around Przhevalskiy’s medal casted in gold in a
single copy.
80-year-old Jumakan Mambetova, the Honored Worker of Culture of the
Kyrgyz Republic is a pensioner. She has worked at the museum for 28 years as
a director too. She has denied the rumors.
"That's me, I'm still alive and if you have any questions I am ready to answer,"
she says. "These rumors being spread by people who do not like my efforts to
support the museum. There were rumors regarding the loss of Przhevalskiy’s
personal gun. We give it up for all to see just to refute a statement. "
Mambetova admitted that Przhevalskiy’s book published in 1947 had once been
stolen but she managed to find another copy and restored the loss.
Przhevalskiy’s Gold medal is kept in St. Petersburg Museum now; the copy of it
made of brass is in Karakol Museum.
Having good contacts in Russia, Mambetova do still manage to enrich the
exhibits buying something, taking something as a gift. The latest acquisition is
Nikolay Przhewalskiy’s silver spoons and forks which she had brought from St.
Petersburg.
The Minister of Culture Sultan Rayev thinks, rumors regarding museum
exhibits disappearance are often unfounded. However, he acknowledges that
"much has been lost." According to the results of internal audits, the Board
Ministry of Culture has recently dismissed five employees of the State
Historical Museum. "For the loss, damage and poor control of the exhibits,"
Rayev says.
The Minister hasn’t any information on prosecutions launched due to missing
museum pieces. As the anonymous employees say there is enough work for the
investigators in this issue.
According to the Ministry of Interior Affairs, 11 criminal cases had been
opened in 2008-2012. The total amount of material damage is estimated about
54 thousand soms (over $ 1000). However, here we are talking more about the
theft of office equipment and other property.
The fact of the theft of two Nazi flags from the Museum of the Armed Forces
of Kyrgyzstan in 2008 and 357 shortages of museum exhibits at the State
Historical Museum in the past year is very attractive from the merit of the
Ministry of Interior Affairs. Criminal cases filed of abuse by authority
employees .... The police did not mention were the perpetrators punished.
The Minister Rayev says that the responsibility for the safety of the museum
exhibits is museum employees’ and managers’ duty. There is no control in fact
over them.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS AND WHAT IS IT?
According to the Article 16 of the Law "On Museums and Museum Fund of the
Kyrgyz Republic", verification of the state of preservation and storage of
museum objects and collections is under the Ministry of Culture.
There isn’t need to speak about the effectiveness of such checking, one person
alone works responsible for the operation of the museum industry in the
Ministry of Culture. In addition, the authority of the Ministry is rather limited.
According to the Minister Rayev, his department develops a policy and the
concept of development in this area and the responsibility for the safety of the
exhibits is under officers and directors of museums.
"Access to the museum store for us is prohibited. We have to get special
permission to access it, " he says.
These issues are not clearly defined in the law and are regulated by Resolution
accepted by the Government. The fact that the Law "On the museums ..." was
adopted only 10 years after independence shows us the authority’s lethargy in
this matter. But in spite of some changes in the law in 2013 it is still “raw”.
The law does not establish a clear responsibility to museum staff for violation of
requirements for the storage of exhibits. These actions "entail administrative
liability in accordance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic." However,
under the Code of Administrative Liability such liability is not provided.
Criminal liability for the theft and sale of museum exhibits haven’t been
foreseen too. The Penal Code provides for imprisonment for a term of three
years for the theft "illegal entry into a home or other storage." In short, steal as
much as you want ...
WILL THE MUSEUM OF THE FIRST KYRGYZ COMPOSER BE OPENED?
It is relished to open museum in Kyrgyzstan. They are in every district and
town; there are rural and private ones. Over the past five years, one museum has
been opened per year. Herewith, criteria is not defined for the establishment
and procedure of state registration of museums in the Law “On Museums…. “ .
Not everything is in order and in view of the museums themselves.
According to the National Statistics Committee, 64 museums were recorded at
the end of 2012. But the Ministry of Culture has its own statistics - 58 museums
(56 from them are state). The Kyrgyz Parliament in February 2013 reviewed the
implementation of the Law "On Museums and the Museum Fund of the Kyrgyz
Republic". The deputies noted that 51 National Museums are operated in our
country.
Such difference in data means that individual museums hasn’t been pass state
registration or just exist only on paper. Independently here is museumapartment by Abdylas Maldybayev, the first Kyrgyz composer and opera actor,
People’s Artist of the USSR.
35 years passed since his death. Back in 1990 the Parliament of the Union
Republic decided to open a museum-apartment in a prestigious building of the
capital where the musician lived in order to perpetuate his memory. The family
of the composer in return promised to allocate 4-bedroom apartment in the
center of the city. But ...
During the years of independence, the government of the country has changed
24 times, two presidents are overthrown violently. The reminder-letter of the
state promises was on the each table. The composer’s wife died few years ago
without seeing husband’s museum. The composer's son, 80-year-old professor
Bolot Maldybayev is continuing to wait at the doorstep.
In Bolot Maldybaev’s last letter to current leaders of the country he asks for
clarification, "Who has receieved the apartment bereaved to the composer’s
family?" The first Kyrgyz composer’s family also suspects that "dead souls" of
not yet established museum-apartment were paid wages in different years.
The portrait of the composer is depicted in the national currency in
denominations of 1 som (KGS 1 = $ 48), special place denoted to composer has
been organized in the State Opera. The authorities were unable to establish a
monument to him even for the 100th anniversary more or less marked in 2006.
It was accidentally discovered that 5 scores (scores of music) of 9 great opera
composer's works disappeared without a trace. The works for the 100th
anniversary of the composer had to recover on the basis of clavier.
"Then, because the notes were not printed in hard copy and score were written
by hand. All his works were commissioned in the State Archives. “All is lost in
that wet basement, " the son of the composer says. "I gave to the State Archives
my father’s personal archive too. I thought that was safe but could hardly found
something later ... "
Syuymonkul Chokmorov’s House-Museum, the great Kyrgyz actor, composer
and artist, whose portrait is depicted on the national currency in denominations
of 5,000 soms is in the same “hanging” position.
The Head of the Joint Directorate of Bishkek Sites Arman Momakhanova says
that the repairing work is almost over in the future Chokmorov’s housemuseum. It will take 200-300 thousand soms more to complete the work.
Momakhanova does not know where to find them. Syuymonkul Chokmorov’s
relatives and activists are trying to find funds through fundraisers and sponsors.
The Parliament of the country (resolution from 28.02.13) ordered the
Government to submit proposals for amendments and additions to it in order to
clearly define the "basic directions and functions of museums, types and forms
of museum activities, requirements and criteria for the creation of museums and
their state registration."
According to that resolution, the government is charged with the issue of
opening the museum of the National writer Chingiz Ayitmatov and to consider
the creation of the State Technology Museum. Maldybayev’s and Chokmorov’s
Museums are forgotten about…
72-year-old public figure Mikhayil Korsunskiy has been trying to reach a
solution to the issue not the first ten years, he has written several articles and
tried to be heard by all instances. He believes that the authorities are indifferent
to the identity and cultural heritage of the first Kyrgyz composer because he
came from a poor family. The children of the deceased haven’t become rich
working in the arts and education...
YOU WANT TO LIVE, LEARN TO TWIRL!
Under the conditions of the market and a deep state of indifference, museums
have to find the funds themselves to survive. One of the main sources of income
is the tickets sale. But this applies to museums in large cities.
In almost all the museums are recognized that the most active visitors are
students and schoolchildren. They are lead to the museums organized, there is
the agreement aimed at cooperation on moral and patriotic education of youth
between the Ministries of Culture and Education. However, in regions rely on
serious income is not necessary.
Judging by the number of visitors, the popularity of museums has been steadily
declining.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the number of museums in the Republic
increased from 47 to 58 from 2008 to 2012, and the number of visitors changed
from more than 505,000 to 413,000 people a year. That is, if in 2008 the daily
museums of the country were visited by an average of 29 people; in 2012 this
figure had fallen to 12 visitors. During the same period the number of museum
staff had grown from 558 to 738.
The leaders in attendance are two state museums in Bishkek (the Historical
Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts); they were attended by over 100,000 people
in 2012. And 10 other capital museums gathered together about 5700 visitors
during that period.
The most visited are the National Complex "Manas Ordo" in Talas (more than
80,000) and Przewalskiy’s Memorial Museum in Issyk-Kul, which is annually
visited by more than 30,000 people. There are 7 museums in Osh Region, the
Historical and Archaeological Complex and the Historical and Archaeological
Museum with a status of National are among them. They were visited by only
50,000 people in 2012.
According to the Ministry of Culture, about 76 million 300 thousand soms was
allocated from the republic and local budgets to support 56 State Museums, the
museums themselves had earned just over 12 million soms. More than 56
million soms of this amount was spent on salaries and more than 6 million for
utilities service. It is spent about million soms annually for the repair and
purchase of equipment.
According to Kasym Kyyalbekov, the deputy director of the National Complex
"Manas Ordo" in Talas where the epic hero Manas’s mausoleum is located, the
complex has subsidiary farming on 50 acres of land. The employees of the
complex are issued 25 acres of land annually in rent where they grow
agricultural products for their own use. In addition each employee is gotten one
sheep (for meat) free of charge once per year.
The total income obtained from farms, especially by the deputy director I can
guess. Judging by the fact that they list about 1.5 million soms in the budget in
the form of 20% of income, it turns out more than 7 million. The Museum
Director Dastan Junushaliyev mentiones more than 2-3 million soms income.
According to a Ministry of Culture, it was earned about $ 1.2 million soms by
the complex “Manas Ordo” in 2012. The financial activities of museum
institutions also need strict control and accounting.
A successful example is the State Historical Museum in Bishkek, where events
are held almost every week in order to attract the visitors, exposure is constantly
updated. The number of visitors is increasing year after year and now is around
80,000 people a year. With the money the museum were able to install a video
surveillance system and wireless internet.
In 2012 the museum earned 3.7 million soms as much as three other leading
museums earned in the country. (For example, the Museum of Fine Arts, which
is about the same subsidy from the budget earned only 877,000 soms).
"We have to cry to the Government and look for opportunities ourselves," the
director of the museum Anarkul Isirailova says. "I am glad that the government
has finally taken over the development of museums ..."
The museum faces the main question - its reconstruction. Built as a branch of
the Lenin Museum in Moscow, it is not adapted to the historical museum. The
concept of the museum has been already developed, which is personally
acquainted with the president of the country and it is promised support. For its
implementation requires 55 million soms. The dismantling of dozens of huge
monuments of gilded plaster, telling about the life of the leader of the proletariat
and the Soviet period of the country will be done.
The private museum opened at the farm "Baybol" in the Talas region shows
once again that the government isn’t the best manager. When in 2004 a young
farmer Daniyar Abylayev began collecting artifacts for the future museum and
building a guest house, the villagers were in favor skeptical. "Who in this
wilderness will come to you?"
Since then, his guest house with ecological and ethnographic field and the
museum was visited by thousands of foreign tourists. All the presidents of the
country except Kurmanbek Bakiyev were there. The owner himself has
participated in many international forums on tourism and museum sector.
Daniyar was able to gather dozens of unique items that belong even to the Stone
Age in two museum halls. Daniyar had managed to get the fragments of a tusk
and teeth of a mastodon that lived in these parts about 8-10 million ago. The
farmer does not expect support from the state; he uses the services of private
consultants from Bishkek to keep his museum in the right state. Having grown
up on the basis of the guest house tourist company "Baybol Travel" is more than
covered the costs of the museum.
The most lamentable state of museums is in the regions where communities are
small and there are not enough visitors. Their main visitors are the same
students and schoolchildren.
According to Venera Musina, the director of Jalal-Abad City Historical
Museum, the local budget issue money for salaries and utility services payment
only. The authorities sometimes ask to organize exhibitions, off-site and then
they have to find for recourses for travel expenses.
Among 9 museums in Jalal-Abad the only Historical Complex "Fazil Shah" in
the border with Uzbekistan in Safed Bulan village ( 600 km from the capital) is
able to earn money on visitors. Every year thousands of pilgrims visit the local
mausoleum rebuilt from the mosque in the X century. The local experts argue
that the spread of Islam in Central Asia has started from here.
Of the eight museums in the Osh region only the Historical and Archaeological
Complex "Sulayman Too" earns money. According to Adalat Zhumabayeva, the
Deputy Director for Science the complex has taken patronage over several
museums created in connection with various anniversaries. That’s hard actively
work with them because there is no money for travel expenses.
Total area is 134 hectares, but part of the territory is disputed, the land legally
belongs to Osh City and the Kara-Suu district. In 2009 the complex was
included to the list of world cultural heritage by UNESCO. The new status
requires that the cafes and snack bars, tea house illegally have been built on
protected zone removal. But all efforts aren’t successful.
The question was considered by visiting session of the relevant committee of
Parliament. The issue entrusted to the government. The museum is still
waiting...
MISTY PERSPECTIVE
Discussion of the issue in the Parliament and personal President’s interest to the
museums fate encourage museum employees. However, according to Sultan
Rayev we shouldn’t expect the main problem solving.
"We are trying to resolve this issue, it may be imposed discussion [of
Parliament] in fall, » he suggests.
“Staff question will be decided by the opening of a special department at the Art
Institute. How it is effective and where to get the teachers? Young people do
not want to work in this area because of the small salary," the Minister notes.
In this resolution the Parliament notes that only 10 museums in the country are
located in purpose-built buildings and the rest crammed into converted premises
"which is a deterrent for the development of the museum".
Only 25 places equipped with the computer equipment. The head of the Joint
Directorate of Museums in Bishkek Momakhanova told that due to the lack of
computers, the staffs of several museums go to them for typing.
There is no building for the exhibits restoration because budget doesn’t issue
money. The stuffed animals are rotting in all museums especially in the local
museums and maintaining or restoring them is impossible because of the lack of
funds.
Rayev thinks that it’s difficult to speak about the development of museums
without strong support from the state. At present time the sphere of culture in
general it is allocated about 1.2 billion soms (which is about 1 percent of the
budget) to the culture sphere. By Law on Culture it should be at least 3 percent.
After discussing the work of museums, the deputies have noted a lack of work
of the Ministry of Culture for the implementation of the law "On the museums
...". The Government was instructed to develop a bill on changes and
amendments to the law in order to strengthen the management of the museum
fund.
The Government is also requested to allocate annually from the budget the
necessary funds "to strengthen the material and technical base, repair and
replenishment of museum collections."
In the resolution the item of the total inspection of museum collections haven’t
been mentioned. The deputies have confined to generalities about making
management of the regions and local authorities to "take steps to replenish the
museum funds, strengthen their material and technical base and provide
qualified personnel."
Museum workers can only hope that after considering the execution of the
Zhogorku Kenesh judgment they will get some positive developments. The
Government has been given six months on solution performance. Because of
summer vacation deputes will return to the issue in the autumn of this year.
Abdumomun Mamarayimov, Voice of Freedom, Bishkek