Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts

Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts opened in 1958, but the idea of creating it arose in the 19th century. In 1923, a regional committee for the creation of the museum was formed. By its decision, the work on building up a collection for the museum started. One of the most important figures in that process was Alibek Taho-Godi, a politician and a public person who dedicated his life to the development of his homeland. He collected artifacts together with leading experts in fine art. Today, the museum is referred as ‘Minor Hermitage’ and features a vast collection of Russian and Western European art, a collection of the prince Bariatinski who, in the second half of the 19th century, was a vicegerent in Caucasus, and works of Dagestanian craftmanship. In 2000, the museum was named after Patimat Gamzatova who directed it since 1964 till 2000.