The Desert of Forbidden Art

The museum that saved banned artwork from being lost forever. This is the incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars was found in the desert of Uzbekistan - and an exploration of how art survives in times of oppression. During the reign of the Soviet Union, a small group of artists remained true to their vision despite threats of torture, imprisonment, and death. Their plight inspired a young archeologist (and frustrated painter) Igor Savitsky. Pretending to buy State-approved art, Stavisky instead daringly rescued 40,000 forbidden fellow artist's works and created a museum in the desert of Uzbekistan, far from the watchful eyes of the KGB. This is the story of Savitsky’s daring rescue mission, and the artists whose work he recovered. A dramatic journey of sacrifice in the name of creative freedom.