The Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg and the World Society for the Study, Preservation, and Promotion of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan have maintained long-standing and constructive relations. Over the years of collaboration, museum staff have participated in the preparation of several books-albums from the series "Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan in Collections Worldwide" and are active participants in WOSCU Congresses.
An important stage of work has been the targeted identification of Uzbek items in the museum's collection and clarification of their attribution, which has been accomplished for the first time in over 80 years of the institution's history. The study of the history of the collection's formation, along with active engagement with colleagues at the Congresses, has confirmed the necessity for further study of the collection. To achieve quality results, it is essential to involve additional specialists, which will allow for a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to museum objects.
In connection with the opening of a new museum at the Center for Islamic Civilization, the authors of the report proposed to combine efforts with specialists who will work within its framework to implement a joint research project. This project aims to study a significant number of museum objects made in various techniques and materials, with varying degrees of preservation, related to different cultural and religious traditions of Uzbekistan. Thus, the initiative to research religious and domestic cult objects will not only deepen knowledge about Uzbekistan's cultural heritage but also create a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing attention to the importance of preserving and promoting this heritage on an international scale.
In connection with the opening of the new museum at the Center for Islamic Civilization, the authors of the report proposed to combine the efforts of the Center and specialists who will work within its framework to implement a joint research project. This project involves studying a significant number of museum objects created in various techniques and materials, with varying degrees of preservation, relating to different cultural and religious traditions of Uzbekistan. Thus, the initiative to research religious and everyday cultural objects will not only deepen knowledge about Uzbekistan's cultural heritage but also create a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, drawing attention to the importance of preserving and promoting this heritage on the international stage.
The archaeological collection of the museum includes hundreds of finds dating from the 1st to the 5th centuries AD, reflecting Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and syncretic pre-Islamic beliefs of the peoples inhabiting present-day Uzbekistan in ancient times. Most of the exhibits have survived fragmentarily, many containing inscriptions made in various scripts, representing monuments of ancient epigraphy. The collection includes fragments of vessels, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines, ritual hearths, and elements of monumental painting that illustrate the formation of the iconographic image of Buddha in Central Asia. One of the results of comprehensive research may be high-quality imaging of painted fragments for further graphic reconstruction and visualization using computer technologies. The results of this reconstruction, accompanied by scientific commentary, could be presented at the Museum and Center.
The Sufi complex of the museum includes sets of clothing worn by ascetic dervishes, prayer beads, staffs, and other items. It is represented both in the permanent exhibition and as part of exhibition projects like "The Path of the Sufi," which attracted attention from academic scholars and the general public last year. A unique exhibit in this complex is the painted robe-Quran of a Sufi mentor made from white cotton fabric. This rare item in Russian museums served as a talisman and could be used as a garment of piety under armor. The robe is covered with epithets and names of Allah, contains basmalah, Shahada, verses from the Quran, and incantations, with an extensive invocation on the back. It is not only unique to the Sufi complex but also one of the gems of our museum collection. Since the robe is made from a vulnerable material and technique, the project proposes its high-resolution digitization for further visualization in 3D format. The visualization may be supplemented with artistic recitation of religious texts, and the results could also be exhibited permanently at the Museum and Center.
The Osh Ishan complex is associated with the name of the renowned Soviet anthropologist Gleb Snesarev, who studied pre-Islamic and Islamic beliefs among the people of Uzbekistan. He significantly enriched the museum's collection with manuscripts from the 15th to 19th centuries related to religious-theological content, amulets, and talismans against evil spirits, as well as family relics of Osh Ishans, such as embroideries with Sufi verses, prayer mats, and irshads—certificates from Ishans. Particularly interesting is the collection of ritual items associated with Irshad-Ishan Siradaddin. This includes a stamp for producing amulets protecting against evil spirits, a copper plate engraved with text in Arabic and Uzbek representing a covenant between Muhammad and jinns, as well as a certificate from Irshad-Ishan Siradaddin regarding his admission to the Naqshbandi order.
In addition, there is an extensive group of artifacts acquired in the 1930s through purchases from private individuals and inter-museum exchanges. This group includes a variety of items related to religious cult practices and daily life. Among them are artifacts associated with the ritual practices of Shia Islam, as well as textile items—clothing and decorative curtains. Of particular interest are the shamails on glass, which are rare in Russian collections due to the fragility of the material. The technology for their production is complex and not fully understood. One of the shamails underwent a lengthy restoration process, during which interesting aspects of its creation were revealed, and its "brother" was found in the collection of the Ark Fortress Museum in Bukhara. It is expected that within the framework of the joint research project, a complete description of the technical and technological features of producing such shamails can be compiled, along with a consolidated catalog.
The authors also hope that the collection of photographic materials, which has not been previously published or researched, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s and illustrating religious life in Uzbekistan during a period known for its struggle against religion, will attract the attention of researchers.
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
