Milestones of Establishment and Ways to Save the Audio Archive of the Art Studies Institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sciences Academy

Abstract

The global movement for the preservation, study and dissemination of Cultural Heritage is directly connected with the cultural policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which is confirmed by a number of relevant state documents. The fixation and study of traditional music as the basic value of the Uzbek people are closely connected with the activities of the Art Studies Institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sciences Academy. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the Audio Archive (Phonoteka) of this Institute, historical milestones of its creation, ways of its preservation and further use. In accordance with the specified purpose, the selected object is considered in the historical and chronological aspect. The period of formation of the two main collections of the Audio Archive is consistently covered – phonographic (1930–1940) and tape recorder (late 1940s–1990). The significance of the Audio Archive as а unique object of historical and cultural memory and an important scientific and educational source was revealed. The former ways of its preservation and introduction into science and practice are discussed. Information is provided on the implementation of the project in 2015, within the framework of which a set of 8 CDs with 69 of the most representative examples of genres and forms of Uzbek music from a collection of tape recordings was created. A brief description of the content of discs was given, and the significance of the project, which became the first step in popularizing the Institute’s archival records in digital format, was indicated. The tasks of preserving and further using the Audio Archive fund in the near future are outlined: digitization of the entire audio fund, compilation of a digital catalog and databases. This article includes historical facts about the formation of the Audio Archive of the Art Studies Institute of and to a certain extent summarizes its materials. Its practical significance lies in the dissemination of information about this audio archive, attracting the attention of the scientific community and a wide audience to the Uzbek musical heritage. The interest of specialists in the project of complete digitization of the Audio Archive dictates the need for further study of this unique object.