Seventy thousand exhibits at risk, save the museum, writer appeals to President

Writer Shukur Jabbor has issued an open appeal to President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, asking him to preserve the activities of the Alisher Navoi State Literature Museum and pay attention to its fate. He announced this on his Facebook page.

The appeal states that the museum is being moved out of its current building, while no new building has yet been allocated for it. Some of its exhibits have temporarily been placed in the basement of the Center of Islamic Civilization.

“Leaving aside the fact that this museum has not been renovated since 1968, the most terrible thing is that its very survival on the stage of history is now at risk. Until now, nearly 70,000 rare items had already been endangered because the museum had not been repaired and proper conditions had not been created. Now this danger has become even greater,” Shukur Jabbor said.

It was noted that the museum’s collection includes manuscripts, lithographic books, rare publications, examples of fine and applied art, as well as exhibits related to the life and work of hundreds of Uzbek poets and writers. In particular, the museum’s exhibitions featured the era of Amir Temur and the Timurids, the works of Alisher Navoi, a manuscript of Khamsa, miniatures created for epic poems, portraits and sculptures related to the poet’s life, maps and historical items. The museum’s collection also includes manuscripts, exhibits and works of art related to classical writers such as Abdurahman Jami, Hafiz, Nizami, Ferdowsi, Khusraw Dehlavi, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, Zebunniso, Turdi, Nodira, Uvaysiy and Mahzuna.

The museum also had exhibitions dedicated to Uzbek literature of the 20th century and the independence period, presenting the life and work of more than 200 Uzbek poets and writers.

“Mr. President! Just recently, on June 1, 2026, you issued a decree ‘On Broad Measures to Further Develop the Fields of Culture, Art and Literature.’ In it, I noticed provisions such as ‘social support for creative figures, creating decent conditions for them, organizing literary evenings, master schools and creative houses for artists, and a program of measures for the comprehensive development of culture, art and literature.’ For this reason, I began to hope that you would not leave the Literature Museum in such a disorganized state. Because from the work you have done at the Alley of Writers, I know that you pay attention to literature,” he wrote.

At the end of the appeal, Shukur Jabbor called for the preservation of the Alisher Navoi State Literature Museum and asked the public to support the appeal.

So far, responsible organizations have not issued an official comment on the issues raised in the appeal.

Earlier, it was reported that Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva had also visited the Alisher Navoi State Literature Museum and reviewed the conditions for preserving rare manuscripts.