Opening of the Museum of Applied Arts named after D. Shokparov was held on 22 July 2010. The museum is located in the Akshi village, Enbekshikazakh district, Almaty region. After opening through the state program "Cultural heritage", this museum was named after the famous folk artist and scientist Darkembay Shokparov.
Darkembay Shokpar left a huge contribution on promotion and preservation of folk arts and crafts. Extraordinarily talented and energetic man was a scientist and at the same time was an ethnographer, a master craftsman who left a huge number of unique works with artistic value, and was a member of the Union of artists and designers.
Darkembay Shokpar was born in Akshi, 1946. He worked as chief art-restorer in National Museum of Applied Arts for many years. He opened a workshop school for training youth in 1996. He was author of more than 200 scientific papers on folklore.
Visitors see bright cozy rooms, unique exhibits that presented in correct order, and most of them have great artistic and historical values. The exposition of the museum occupies 210 square meters area. Here are 6 exhibition halls, each room has own unique name. The first room is called "The Life and Work of Darkembay Shokparov". The second - "Seventy talents are few for the zhigit (man)". Third - "Home furniture and tableware". Fourth - "Folk Music Instruments and jewelries". Fifth - "Hunting with prey birds, weapons' equipment". Sixth is titled "Home Furniture of Darkembay Shokparov", where exhibited a book with records of museum visitors.
The museum contains more than 2,400 exhibits, and most of them are represented in halls. Art works from metal, wood, leather and stone are collected in one exposition. Other rooms, in accordance with sections, contain musical instruments, jewelries, furniture, pottery, weapons and other household items.
In one of the sections is exhibited objects, which were made by D.Shokparov or collected ones. Collection of craft items, books, articles from newspapers and magazines, CDs with video and film about the life and work of the master, his scientific works are represented here.
Part of the exhibition contains unique items that presented Kazakhstan at prestigious exhibitions, which held in Kazakhstan and various foreign countries. So, 32 jewels from the museum were exhibited at the Fair «WTM London-2007". Many expositions were presented in the State Museum of Israel, on the traveling exhibition in Astana, in honor of its 10th anniversary, and at the republican exhibition of applied arts in 2010.
Director and curator of the museum is a son of famous master - Daulet Shokpar. He collected this amazing collection with his father, and today he tries to update the museum store.
Daulet Shokpar makes some exhibits himself, or painstakingly restores discovered ancient armor, household objects and women's jewelry.