Its formation began in 1924. In 1939, with the opening of the regional historical museum in the Nurullabay Palace, photographs and glass negatives by Khudoybergen Devanov, the founding father of Uzbek photography and cinematography, depicting historical events from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, architectural monuments of Khorezm, and the life and customs of the local population, were accepted into its funds.
The name of Khudoybergen Devanov holds a special place in the history of Uzbek cinema and photography – he was a pioneer in this field. Born on August 3, 1879, into the family of Nurmuhammad Devanov, a manager and overseer of estates in Khodjeyli, Khudoybergen showed curiosity and intelligence from an early age. He received his basic education at home – his father taught him to read and write. Seeing his son's interest in the Russian language, Nurmuhammad aga sent him to a Russian-native school. Then, wishing to give his son a profession, he apprenticed him to a watchmaker.
Once while fishing, Khudoybergen met Wilhelm Penner, a German cinephile. The locals called him "Panor buva" (Grandpa Lantern – for his bulky camera). A friendship developed between them – thus, Khudoybergen began to learn the basics of cinema and photography. One day, the teacher said, "No one wants to study this profession. I was afraid that my craft would die with me. Fortunately, you turned out to be a smart boy, you became a good photographer." Penner gave Khudoybergen all his photo equipment and blessed him to work independently.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "The Collection of the Ichan-Kala State Museum-Reserve" (Volume XLVII) in the series "Сultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world collections".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
