Today I've a Central Asian Art Exhibition in the Museum of Orienatal Art in Moscow. I often visit this small museum in Arbatskaya. There I bought a unique album of Ruvim Mazel (1890-1967), a founder of Turkmen painting.

He was born in Vitebsk (Belarus), studied in Italy and Germany, but found himself in Ashgabat in 1915 as a soldier. In 1920 he founded the Advanced Art School of the East, where he intoduced painting to the Turkmens (Islam prohibited to depict people before). One of the first students was Basim Nurali, who subsequently founed the Childrens' Art School that I have graduated.

Having moved to Turkistan, Ruvim Mazel fell in love with its people and culture. He painted lots of pieces on Turkmen life-style, but today I have discovered the very strange pictures - The Turkmenized Bible. I don't think the Turkmens would like it.

Jakob's Escape



Avel and Cain



The Sale of Joseph



There are two reasons for this strange act. Maybe, Mazel wanted to deal with the Bible and simultaneously be in line with the official atheistic propaganda. Or he wanted to show the common rutes of Judaism and Islam. This album is sold in many Jewish centers.