In the past, Rishtan potters worked in their own homes, in small workshops. There were no conditions for foreign tourists.
After the adoption of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of November 17, 2017, the creation of wide opportunities for the development of handicrafts and the activities of craftsmen began. Handicraft centers were built in Kokand and Margilan. The new center in Rishtan operates in the pottery direction.
20 two-storey houses, a museum of Rishtan history, and a banking services center have been erected here. Workshops and shops are located on the first floors of the houses, and families of craftsmen live on the second floors.
There are also hotels in the houses that can accommodate 6 people. Here foreign tourists can settle and get acquainted with the work of potters.
About 250 people were employed when the center opened. Ceramic products are exported to the United Arab Emirates, Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries.
The Head of the state visited the workshop of the people’s master of Uzbekistan Alisher Nazirov. He examined the pottery.
“These products contain not only hard work and soul but also our history. We are reviving national traditions in all areas. It is also necessary to popularize ceramics, to carry them in every home. Besides, it is highly valued abroad. Because it is beautiful, qualitative, environmentally friendly. If every home in our country will have such products, they will be an object of national pride and a source of spirituality”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.
The President also visited the houses of famous potters Muzaffar Saidov and Sharofiddin Yusupov and had a warm conversation with them.
Responsible persons were instructed to provide potters with working capital and benefits, assist them in opening stores in other regions, organize exhibitions and trade stands at the embassies of Uzbekistan abroad.
The International Ceramics Center houses the district branch of the Hunarmand Association and a training center.
The mausoleum of Khoja Rushnoi located here was also landscaped during the construction process. The Head of the state visited the mausoleum.
Measures aimed at employing youth and women in the region, reducing poverty in the context of mahallas were discussed.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev talked with residents of Uchkuprik district, who opened sewing workshops in their homes and employed their neighbors in the mahalla. To enhance their activities, the responsible persons were given instructions to build a modern complex for seamstresses in a location convenient from the point of view of logistics.
