Martiros Sarian painted Turkmen Children in 1934 with oil on canvas. It depicts a slice of life from a Soviet republic on the border with Iran and Afghanistan. The painting is a rich source of information about cultural change and institutional influence. Sarian was an Armenian painter who received his formal training in Moscow. This makes his perspective both ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ to the culture that he depicts. The scene is painted in muted tones, with strong horizontal lines and geometric forms. The image is composed of the children in the foreground, domestic animals in the middle ground and mud-brick buildings in the background. The painting reflects the Soviet policy of promoting national cultures while also integrating them into the larger Soviet project. The fact that Sarian made this painting and that it now hangs in a museum is a reflection of the institutions of art in the Soviet Union, which played a crucial role in shaping and promoting national identity. By researching the social and institutional context, we can gain a deeper understanding of the painting's meaning and significance.