Founded in 1918 as the Museum of the People's University, later the Central Art Museum, since 1924 - the Tashkent Museum of Art, since 1935 - the Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan. From 1918 to 1935 was located in the former palace of Prince N. Romanov, from 1935 to 1966. - in the building of the People's House. In 1974, a new museum building was built on the same site (architects I. Abdulov, A.K. Nikiforov, S.A. Rosenblum), which has a simple cubic volume; the facades are divided into square elements by metal frame structures, externally lined with stamped sheets of anodized aluminum, the walls of the basement and the portal entrance are made of gray polished marble.
The building is glazed with stevite on 4 sides, which creates even matte lighting in the halls. The initial collection of the museum included collections of works of art by Prince N. Romanov and other private individuals, nationalized in April 1918, as well as receipts from museum funds in Moscow and Leningrad. From the 2nd half of the 30s. XX century The museum's collection has expanded significantly to include works by artists from Uzbekistan.
