Soviet architecture walking tour, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Like many of the travellers who are discovering Kyrgyzstan as a destination, I’ve come here for the
nature. The rows of mountains like turret-topped walls; the shimmering gems of lakes amongst
them; the colourful fields of flowers beneath them; and the hint of dusty deserts on the edges. It’s
the exploration of the vast textures in the landscapes that make the country so exciting.

Bishkek is an interesting city and one that, by all accounts, is filled with a vibrant way of life for
residents. For tourists, though, it doesn’t have a huge amount of famous sites to visit.
In the centre of the city, though, you’ll quickly notice that the streets are lined with architecture that
offers a way to explore Bishkek through its modern history. As a former member of the USSR,
Kyrgyzstan’s capital is full of intriguing Soviet-style buildings that can be used as a roadmap for
discovery.

What I thought I would do is put together a guide for a short walking tour through the centre of
Bishkek that will let you see (and stop at) some of the highlights of the collection of Soviet
architecture on offer.
Even though it’s been more than 25 years since Kyrgyzstan became independent after the fall of the
Soviet Union, these buildings remain and have been incorporated into modern culture and politics.
Not surprising, of course. Just because the governance changes, it doesn’t mean the public’s idea of
style and design does. And so, with this architecture, we can get a sense of the slow evolution of the
country over the previous few decades.

If you would like to do this walking tour yourself, you can use this map I’ve put together. Open it
up on your phone and you’ll even be able to follow along as you walk. The actual walking will take
about an hour, plus about another hour to stop and look at the locations. (Note: Google Maps
doesn’t allow for shortcuts with the route – it will be obvious on the ground where you can cut
across parks or between buildings, so you don’t need to follow the track exactly.)
So, if you’re ready, let’s start the tour at Victory Square.
Victory Square
In the middle of Victory Square is the enormous Monument of Victory, the shape of which
represents a yurt, with which a sculpture of a mother with a cup waiting for her husband and sons to
return from war.

The monument was erected in 1985 on the 40th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the ‘Great
Patriotic War’, which is a term the USSR used to describe the part of World War II that it was
involved in.
Circus
The Circus is what you may expect – it’s the building where the circus is held in Bishkek. The
performances here still involve animals but you could try and get a ticket if there’s something on
when you’re in town.

I love the shape of the building, which was constructed in 1976. It looks a bit like a UFO or
something slightly unworldly.
Wedding Palace
The nearby Wedding Palace is a fascinating site. During Soviet times, religion was strongly
discouraged so people couldn’t get married in a church or synagogue or mosque. To appease the
public, the rulers opened the Wedding Palace as an interfaith location to conduct weddings.

It was built in 1987 and is still used today for weddings. You should be able to walk in and have a
look around and take some photos. You won’t be allowed into the central elevated area where the
ceremonies take place.
National Library
Although the official Library of Kyrgyzstan was founded in 1934, the building that now houses the
collection is from 1983. Inside there are apparently more than 6 million items.

You can go into the foyer and have a look around. To get further into the library, you will need to do
what everyone else does and buy a day access pass. It is only 5 som (about US$0.07) so don’t be
scared to do it, if you’re interested.

Museum of Fine Arts

The the building for the Museum of Fine Arts was built in 1974 and it’s certainly artistic, although
I’m not so sure I would call it ‘fine’. It’s a great example of the architecture of the time, though.

You can visit the museum and see the collection if you have an interest in the artistic or cultural side
of Kyrgyzstan. A ticket for an adult is 40 som (US$0.60).
Opera and Ballet Theatre
The Opera and Ballet Theatre may seem a bit out of place with its Neoclassical design but I’ve
come to accept that not everything makes sense when it comes to Bishkek’s architecture. Still, it’s
an impressive building that was opened in 1955.

The doors are normally shut but if there’s a performance on, you may be able to pop inside and have
a quick look at the foyer. Tickets to a performance aren’t much, ranging from 100 som (US$1.50) to
450 som (US$6.50), so that’s another way to get inside!
Republican Library for Children and Youth
Although the National Library is much more important and gets most the attention from visitors, the
Republican Library for Children and Youth is actually more popular with the locals. You’ll go
straight past it on this tour but there’s probably not much need to pop inside.

Russian Drama Theatre

Even though it may look a bit plain from the outside (just concrete and glass), I think this theatre
actually has some quite cool architectural elements inside. You should be able to wander in and
have a look around if the front doors are open.

It was built in 1972 and is in the process of having a renovation. It may be closed sometimes for
construction work – and I’m not sure exactly how it is going to look when it’s all finished.
Memorial to the Red Guards
Opposite the Russian Drama Theatre is the Memorial to the Red Guards, marked by a large obelisk.
The monument was unveiled in 1957 and is dedicated to the Red Guards who died during the ‘Great
Patriotic War’.

Statue to Kurmanjan Datka

Further along in Oak Park, you’ll find the statue dedicated to Kurmanjan Datka. This was actually
erected in 2004 – well after the Soviet era – but I’m mentioning it for a few reasons.

Firstly, you will walk right past this large monument and probably wonder what it is. Secondly, she
was a very important historical figure who ruled over much of Kyrgyzstan in the 1800s. And thirdly,
this is the site where other important statues have stood in the past, including one of Lenin from
1948 – 1984.
Soda shop
Before you leave the park, pop into this little shop on the edge. You’ll spot the interesting
architecture – and it has an interesting story as well. It used to sell soda during the Soviet era.
Rather than knock it down or turn it into something more modern, it is still used as a little shop to
sell drinks and snacks.
Ala-Too Cinema
This cinema is still very much in use and is one of the largest and most popular in Bishkek. But the
facade is fantastic and I love the artwork above the doors. The mosaics are of Soviet cosmonauts
and other heroes.

Lenin Statue
This statue of Lenin is the one that used to stand on the site where the monument to Kurmanjan
Datka now is. It was originally put up in 1948 on top of an obelisk and the whole thing was 13
metres tall.

It was first taken down in 1984 (before the USSR fell) because a much larger one was being
installed elsewhere. This one was given a spot in the gardens behind the State History Museum in
2003.
State History Museum
This is one of the most important buildings in Bishkek and no architecture tour of the city is
complete without it. The State History Museum was built in 1984 and it looks like a big marble
cube. The fountains and square in front flow into the design.

At the moment, there is construction work going on so you can’t go inside or get too close.
Hopefully it will be open again soon (please let me know in the comments if you hear any news).
Manas Statue
The Manas Statue right in from of the State History Museum is another site that I’m including in this tour but
is not technically Soviet. In fact, it was erected in 2011 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of independence
from the USSR.

It is just over 17 metres tall and has a statue of the legendary Manas, a figure who is extremely
important in the folklore of Kyrgyzstan.

Government offices
On the other side of the main road are the large government buildings with a structure that looks
like a yurt in the middle. Although you can see them from the Manas Statue, I would recommend
crossing over and having a closer look at the area before you come back over and continue the
walking tour.
Friendship Monument
The People’s Friendship Monument was erected in 1974 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of
Kyrgyzstan becoming a part of Russia. It’s an enormous sculpture – about 28 metres high – with 13
reliefs around it symbolising the connection between the two countries. It’s one of the more
impressive monuments from this era that you can still see.

The White House

Here in Kyrgyzstan, the office of the country’s president is also called the White House, just like the
US – although the President doesn’t live in this one. It was built in 1985 to be the headquarters of
the Soviet Union’s Communist Party’s Central Committee.

You can’t get close to the building and can only look at it through the fence. This is partly because
security was beefed up after enormous riots in 2005 and 2010.
Sports Palace
The final stop of this walking tour is the Sports Palace (a rather fancy name for a leisure centre). It
was built in 1974 and you’ll realise it has quite a similar design to other buildings from that year
that you’ve already seen.
Of particular note is the statue out the front, which was erected after independence in 2004. It’s of a
legendary warrior called Kojomkul who was more than two metres tall and was an excellent
sportsman.

I hope you’ve found this tour useful. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Bishkek but enjoyed my
time in the city. Although I still consider it to be a launching pad for adventures in other parts of the
country, there is enough to do here and in the surrounding area to warrant a stop.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Central Asia has been on my radar for quite a while. Every year I think about the places I want to
visit and I put the region on the list. Every year I fail to make it. Usually it’s just a matter of
logistics – I run out of time or end up in a different part of the world.
But finally I made it. And it did not disappoint.

My first stop was Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. I had been invited by the United Nations
World Tourism Organisation to speak at a conference and explore a bit of the region afterwards and
thought the opportunity was too good to pass up. It is not how I would normally travel – it was
clearly a quick trip covering a lot of ground – but it looked like the perfect introduction to Central
Asia.

I’ll be writing more in the coming weeks about some of the things I saw and the places I visited, but
I want to start today with my thoughts on Almaty and my first impressions of Kazakhstan.

First impressions of Kazakhstan

There’s one thing that most people think of when they hear the name ‘Kazakhstan’. I think you
know what I’m about to say – it’s the B word. Borat.
I was actually reluctant to even mention it in this post because very quickly I realised it really has
nothing to do with Kazakhstan. However, I think it’s worth bringing it up just to put the idea of the
character out of your mind. I get the feeling that Sacha Baron Cohen invented a character and then
randomly chose a nationality for him. It helped that the global audience really didn’t know anything
about Kazakhstan.

While the Kazakh authorities initially banned the film, in the end it has been credited with bringing
more attention to the country and, ultimately, a more accurate understanding of what it’s actually
like.
For starters, Borat doesn’t even look right! About 70 per cent of the population are ethnic Kazakhs,
which means they have Asian features and look more like their Chinese neighbours to the east than
the Russians to the north. Only about 20 per cent of the population is ethnically Russian… but they
still don’t look like Borat. I really don’t know where he should have been from. Turkey, maybe?

But, anyway, enough of this digression I didn’t even want to start, and back to the real
Kazakhstan… which is a big country! It’s the ninth largest country in the world and about the same
size as Argentina. But, with a population of only 17 million people, it’s one of the lowest densities
in the world.
I noticed it when I left the city and started to travel through the countryside – emptiness
everywhere. The roads are long and the horizon wide. What really captured my attention, though,
were the landscapes. They are incredible. A journey through Kazakhstan is as much about what you
see out the window along the way as it is the stops.

In my next post, I’ll show you some of these natural wonders. For now, though, I want to
concentrate on Almaty.

Thoughts on Almaty
Kazakhstan is actually quite a rich country, most of its money coming from its vast oil reserves and
minerals and metals. Considering it also has a lot of great agricultural land, there’s probably no
surprise that it’s the largest economy in Central Asia (Kazakhstan’s GDP is about the same as
Qatar’s). And much of that money ends up in Almaty.

I was surprised by how modern the city feels – albeit, in a Central Asian kind of way. It’s not that
there are imposing skyscrapers like New York or massive malls like Bangkok. What strikes me is
how clean and orderly it is… and how normal parts of it feel. Trendy restaurants on the corner; new
apartment blocks; a metro line running underneath. It’s perfectly safe to walk the streets and get a
sense of the place for yourself.

It certainly has its own unique characteristics, though – you don’t feel like you are just in another
generic city. The grand public buildings along the wide boulevards show the influence from the
Soviet era, concrete monoliths that impose as much as they inspire. The Hotel Kazakhstan is a great
example of the architecture of the time. Built in the 1970s, there is something quite beautiful about
the brutalist approach to the design.

One morning I joined a free walking tour, offered by a local company called Center Smart Tourism
(you can find more details here). The young guide spoke English really well and took me through
some of the central area of Almaty.
It felt as though the statues of local heroes were joining us on our walk, they appeared along the
way so often. It was all so Soviet – even if most of the figures depicted are actually Kazakhs. That
so many of the buildings here also have a sense of the Soviet about them is a constant reminder of
the history.

Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 until 1997… and most of this period it was part of
the Soviet Union. It explains much of what you see here – and, in many cases, what you do here.
Everything from the transport system to the nightclubs are still influenced by those days. I’m sure
the statistics of vodka consumption here would back up my point!
But Almaty has something else very special that you notice as soon as you arrive – the snow-capped
mountains that surround it. Some of them are almost 4000 metres high and they create a constant
dramatic backdrop.
One of the big selling points of this city (and something that I think should be promoted more to
potential tourists) is how close it is to natural wonders, including great skiing in winter.

Kok Tobe, Almaty

Unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to get up into the snowy mountains but I did take the cable
car up to Kok Tobe, which is the highest point of the city, about 1100 metres above sea level.
At the top is a recreation area, with a small zoo, rides for children, and a large ferris wheel. It’s the
kind of place where families stroll around to entertain the kids, friends meet for a coffee, and
restaurants get busy on weekends.

From here, I stopped at a viewpoint and looked across Almaty, stretching out in the valley beneath.
You get an excellent sense of how the city fits within the natural environment – a dense population
of 1.5 million surrounded by the emptiness of the country in each direction.

I thought about that… and about travels here. Almaty is vibrant and a fun place to spend some time,
enjoying the Kazakh hospitality and seeing some of the sights. But it’s the big adventure beyond the
city limits that really interests me. There’s a wilderness out there, filled with something. And that’s
what visiting this country should be about.