The large-scale carpet exhibition "Carpet of Stories" has opened at the All-Russian Decorative Arts Museum in Moscow. The museum's seven halls showcase an extensive collection of carpets created in the 1930s-1980s in the traditional centers of carpet weaving in Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Among the rare exhibits is the famous Turkmen carpet "Horse Run."

The unique carpet, woven in 1937 at the Ashgabat Carpet Factory, is dedicated to the legendary 1935 horse race undertaken by Akhal-Teke horses along the Ashgabat-Moscow route.

A cavalry unit consisting of thirty riders completed the challenging 4,300-kilometer journey in 84 days. The route passed through the sandy Garagum Desert, the Ustyurt Plateau covered with takyrs and salt marshes, the Kazakh steppes and the forest-steppes of Russia.

The Akhal-Teke horses demonstrated their endurance and reliability. The historic race attracted significant public attention, and its participants deservedly became national heroes. This is why the events of this remarkable race were chosen as the theme for the carpet, created by talented Turkmen craftswomen.

Two years after the creation of the carpet, which celebrates the feat of the Turkmen horses, a second carpet canvas was produced at the Ashgabat factory using the preserved sketches and patterns. It differs from the first with minor changes in the ornament details. This carpet is still kept in Ashgabat.

In 2014, the Turkmen carpet "Horse Run," held in the collection of the All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art, was presented at an exclusive exhibition in Moscow, becoming the only exhibited item.

The "Carpet of Stories" exhibition will run until October 13. Visitors can attend informative lectures on the history of carpet weaving, ornamentation and design, as well as guided tours. As noted by the organizers, the preparation for the exhibition took several years to ensure that every visitor could acquaint themselves with the masterpieces of carpet weaving from different peoples.