Fifth Journey Day 88: Child with Mirror, Road with Sky
Date: August 4, 2025
Location: Nukus, Uzbekistan
I got to Nukus this morning on the early train. The change from Khiva to this city was like going from a busy, full place to a less busy one. It was as if the city wasn't fully complete yet. The streets are wide and calm, and the landscape feels natural, simple, and untouched. There's a level of authenticity in that plainness — it's not about trying to impress or hide, it's just being real.
I spent a couple of hours at the Savitsky Museum. It felt like stepping into a sealed room inside a larger silence. Paintings saved from being forgotten — strange shapes, sharp sadness, and strong feelings painted to challenge or ignore the danger. I stood in front of one that looked like a desert memory. The museum was almost empty. There was light tapping against glass, and a faint smell of varnish that had aged.
What I remember most was not a particular artwork, but the feeling of being in a room full of voices that were once silenced. Now, these voices hummed gently, unbothered by the fact that no one was listening. I didn't take any notes. I just watched the pigments. Their stubbornness. Their survival.
On the walk back, I noticed a child carrying a mirror. The mirror was bigger than the child. The child was dragging the mirror along the road with both hands. The reflection in the mirror was distorted. It was filled with dust and sky. He wasn't playing; he was just moving it around. It was as if he thought it was something necessary. I can't stop thinking about it.
Nukus is not a conventionally beautiful city. It feels like an echo waiting to become something new. Maybe that's what I needed today — not more stimulation, just a place where I can relax.
Tomorrow, I'll paint.
