Marinika Maratovna Babanazarova (1955) graduated in 1977 from the faculty of Roman and German Philology at the Tashkent University as a Philologist-Germanicist and holds a degree from the Tasheknt Theatre and Art Institute named after Ostrovskiy as an art critic. From 1977-1983 she was a teacher of English at the Nukus State Universety. In 1983-1984 she served as an Academic Secretary and Curator at the State Museum of Art. Studies abroad includes The Louvre (1988) and British Museum (2000), studies of museum business in the USA (1993), France (1998), Austria (2002) and Sweden (2003). Marinika Babanazarova was instrumental in bringing highlights of the collection to be shown abroad: Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, exhibitions in Germany, France, Italy and the USA. A frequent invitee, Marinika Babanazarova has participated in workshops on museum business, and on the issues of gender, cultureand development held in Turkey, Kazakhstan, USA and Great Britain. She has a series of publications to her name in catalogues for exhibitions and in compilation of articles on art criticism. For valuable contribution to the development of culture M.M.Babanazarova is listed in the international “Who is Who” (USA, 1996) and “Women of the World” (England 1997). Member of numerous international organizations.

Valentina Egorovna Sycheva (1947) graduated as a Philologist from the Saransk State University where she studied from 1964-1969. She joined the museum in 1974 as Chief Curator. As co-organizer of exhibitions “In Commemoration of Savitskiy” at the Museum of the Peoples of the Orient, Moscow, 1985, “Treasures of the Nukus Museum” at the Intercontinental Hotel, Tashkent, 2000, “Russian Avant-Garde” at the festival of Avant-Garde Music, Tashkent, 2002, “Paintings and Graphics in the collection of the Savitskiy Karakalpak Art Museum” under the World Bank Forum, Tashkent, 2003, “cultural Oasis in Karakalpakstan” at the Gallery of the National Bank of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 2005, she brought the collection to a wide audience. Co-wrote catalogues “I.Savitskiy”, “K.Redko”, “Avant-Garde of the 20th Century” and was instrumental in the museum’s projects “Young Art Critics” and “Gender Development” of the museum’s “Cultural Heritage Association”.

Irina Ilduzovna Petrushina (1974) graduated from the Volgograd State University as a Philologist (Volgograd, 1992-1997). With an entry job as a tour guide (1997-2000) and subsequent appointment as methodologist (2000-2002), is the museum’s Academic Secretary since 2004 and has participated in this capacity in all exhibitions over the last years, working closely with Valentina Sycheva. She is a curator of the museum’s project “Children’s Creative Activity” exhibiting on a regular basis the works of art of young protégées. Catalogue contributions include A.Shpade’s solo exhibition in 2005, the list of workshops attended “Museum in the Changing World”, International Museum Festival “Open Asia-Open Museum”, both in Kazakhstan, and the museum’s gender development projects in conjunction with the Centre of Social Adaptation of the Women of Karakalpakstan.

Olga Yuryevna Udovenko (1961) graduated from the Faculty of Russian language and Literature of Nukus State University (1979-1984). A museum tour-guide in 1989, she became the museum’s methodologist (1989), and the museum’s research assistant of the section of Fine Arts (1989-1991). For many years the Academic Secretary, Olga was appointed Head of the Fine Arts Section in 2004. In this capacity she has participated in publishing of catalogues (Russian Avant-Garde) (Chemnitz, Germany, 1995), “Carpet Tales” dedicated to R.Mazel’s creative activity (Moscow, 1995), “Il corallo nell’ornamento dell’Asia islamica della Turchia all’Uzbekistan”. (Electa Napoli, 2001) for the exhibition “Corals from Samarkand” in Naples, Italy, 2000, “Avant-Garde of the 20th Century” (Tashkent, 2003), “Alvina Shpade” exhibition catalogue (Nukus, 2005) and comprised information for the museum website. Olga took part in the exchange programme “Partnership Among Museums” IPAM (Zimmerly Museum of Rutger University, New Jersey, USA, 2002). Participation in workshops such as “Modern Information Technologies in Museum Business” in Samarkand, 2003. She is a co-organizer of all the major exhibitions held by the museum over the last years and has played a leading role as curator of the organization of events dedicateâ to the 90th anniversary of I.V.Savitskiy (Nukus, 2005), as curator of the exhibition of the oldest artist of the Republic of Karakalpakstan Alvina Shpade (Nukus, 2005). Conducts research on I.V.Savitskiy’s biography.

Svetlana Borisovna Sonina (1952) has been head of the museum’s archives since 1975. She participated in the creation of the catalogues “Russian Avant-Garde” (Chemnitz, Germany, 1995), “Avant-Garde of the 20th Century” (Tasheknt, 2003) and the museum’s project “Young Art Critics” as well as in the gender development projects of the museum’s “Cultural Heritage Association”.

Aygul Pirnazarova (1952) is a research assistant in 1976-1985 and since 1985 heads the section of Folk and Applied Art. She participated in the museum’s project “Revival of Traditional Handicrafts” (Nukus, 1998-1999) as a master on national embroidery, “Revival of Carpet Weaving” (Nukus, Shomanay, Kegeyli, 1999-2000), “Museum on Wheels”(Karakalpakstan, 2004-2006) and the museum’s own gender development projects under the “Cultural Heritage Association”. Aygul consistently represents the annual “Silk and Spice” festival in Bukhara (2001, 2002, 2003) and recently in the workshop “Study of the History of the Craftsman of Uzbekistan” also in Bukhara (2005).

Rashid Sabetovich Matchanov (1959) graduated from the Tashkent Theatre and Art Institute as designer-decorator (Tashkent 1976-1982) and holds a degree of the All-Union Science Research Institute of Restoration (VNIIR) in 1989. He heads the museum’s restoration section. In 2005, Rashid Worked with the experts from the renowned “Restorers without Frontiers” in a large scale project through which numerous artworks were restored indispensable know-how was achieved. Rashid plays a major role in the museum’s “Cultural Heritage Association”.

Igor Olegovich Novitskiy (1954) from the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the Tashkent State University as a “orientalist-synologist” (1973-1978), as well as the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR (Moscow, 1983-1988) as “military interpreter”. Igor speaks fluent English, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Pushtu, Urdy, Uzbek and Karakalpak and is therefore involved in guest relations. He participated in organization of the exhibition “Painting and Graphics” in the collection of the State Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakastan named after I.V.Savitskiy under the World Bank Forum at the Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts (Tashkent, 2003). He is an author of several scientific publications on numismatics.

Alvina Andreevna Shpade (1935) –artist. Graduated from the Ashkhabad Art School named after Sh.Rustavely (Ashkhabad, 1952-1957), Tashkent Theatre and Art Institute named after Osrovskiy (Tashkent, 1963-1968) and the Moscow Textile Institute (Moscow, 1969-1974) and holds a degree from All-Union Science Research Institute of Restoration. (VNIIR). Since 1969, she has made valuable contributions to the museum’s restoration work and has participated in the museum’s crafts related projects and most recently has worked with experts from “Restorers without Frontiers” on a key project. Her solo exhibition at the museum in 2005 was greatly acclaimed.