The Museum of Musical Instruments was founded in 1990 on the basis of the private collection of the People's Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan Gurminj Zavkibekov. A talented actor, a multi-talented person, Gurminj began collecting from an early age.
In the East, musical instruments have always been a means of transmitting poetry. The instrument expressed the soul of the singer - hafiz, touched the most delicate strings and deep feelings of the author. The instrument personified a person with his experiences and joys, youth and old age, good and evil.
The Gurminj Museum has over 200 exhibits from all Asian countries in its funds. The main exhibits are represented by string, wind, bow, percussion instruments. The collection of stringed instruments is the most numerous. These are setars, and dutars, and rubabs, and tanburs, and banjos.
The most beautiful setar - Kashgar - is inlaid with sadaf (ivory). The Afghan-Badakhshan setar, over 100 years old, is the most impressive. There are many different setars of modern masters, in which the original ideas of the authors are embodied. The leading place is given to Shah-setar, who is over 100 years old. It is made of mulberry wood, large in volume but light in weight. The sound of Shah-setar's strings is the most melodic.
The collection of dutars (two strings) is the most diverse. Usually the dutar accompanied the chants with Shashmak. There are dutars from Bukhara, Tajikistan, Badakhshan, from the most modest in design to the most exquisite in form.
The collection of rubabs is also numerous. There is a rubab synthesizing tar and guitar (Rubobi Kobuli). The Kashgar rubab is about 300 years old, it is characterized by a bright, light sound. Afghan has a more matte, chesty sound. The Badakhshan rubab is about 100 years old. There are many rubabs by modern masters of Gorno-Badakhshan such as Zhonboz D., Aknazar I., Amonbek Rakhmatov.
The collection of tanburs is not numerous, but the most valuable. The star of the collection is the Kumri tanbur from the holy place of the Bartang district of GBAO. It was miraculously preserved, restored by the owner of the museum.
The collection of string instruments is complemented by Belarusian gusli, chang, Arabic string instrument, etc.
Bowed instruments are represented by gidzhaks and violins. Gidzhaks are the most diverse from Badakhshan, Afghanistan, Iran, Vietnam.
Percussion instruments are also worthy of attention. Indian tablas, African percussion, Iranian daf, Tajik and Uzbek doiras and tavls.
Numerous collection of wind instruments is represented by nais, koshnas, surnas, flutes and pipes. They are collected from different parts of the world. There is hope for the completion of the collection.
The museum has departments of everyday life, household utensils and clothing. Silver plates, brass teapots, bronze jugs, pottery are of historical value. Chilim (smoking device) is about 500 years old. Copper choydush (teapots) are 300 to 400 years old.
Items of clothing will tell about the national character of the Tajiks.
Folklore and pop-ethnographic ensembles have been created at the museum, led by Gurminj and his son Ikbol Zavkibekov. The original design of the museum was made by A. Khaidarova, G. Soliev, N. Akhmedov, M. Nazarova and M. Gadzhiyeva. The museum exists on private donations and thanks to assistance from organizations. The beauty of the museum, its originality and uniqueness, of course, require attention and therefore need the support of all connoisseurs of genuine art.
A small island - the Gurminj Museum - invites everyone to visit the museum, touch the ancient culture, become witnesses of unprecedented beauty, inspiration and love, embodied in wood, bronze, copper and silver. The museum is open daily and would like to establish friendly relations with similar museums all over the world in order to exchange information, experience, and exhibits.
Address: 734025 Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, st. Bokhoro 50/2, apt. 15
Tel.: (+992-37) 223-32-10
Email: Ikbol_sho@mail.ru
The museum is open: from 9.00 to 17.00
Paid entrance.