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Quirky Curiosities Bishkek's short but eventful existence, coupled with its measured approach to history mean that the city offers a double-take array of uniquely intriguing sights. Whilst other Central Asian countries have taken pains to eliminate evidence of their communist past, many Soviet monuments remain standing in Bishkek
(albeit minus their name plaques in some cases). The drive to reinforce Kyrgyz national consciousness has prompted some particularly unusual constructions, the best example of which is the Manas Village (below). Day to day sights which seem incongruous to western visitors (cows grazing amongst housing blocks, posters advertising 'Barf' washing powder, a MIG fighter plane parked on
one of Bishkek's busiest thoroughfares) have a quirky charm all of their own. The Manas Village (Городок Манаса)
Kyrgyz nation building was given a boost when UNESCO declared that 1995 would be the International Year of
Manas, (rather dubiously pinpointing that year as the epic's 1,000 year anniversary). The country prepared for a year of events commemorating Manas, the legendary hero who embodies Kyrgyz culture and values. Much of the celebrations were concentrated into festivals of horseback sports, dancing and singing at the Talas Valley (where, famously, the world's first three-storey
yurt was erected) and at the purpose-built Manas Village in Bishkek's southern suburbs. The Manas Village today is an arresting but deserted complex of stylised stages, podiums, staircases, yurts and towers. All are constructed from metal, marble and crumbling concrete, their forms steeped in Kyrgyz symbolism and designed to resemble horses, stars, yurts, flags and warriors. The resulting
effect is of being lost in fairytale, slightly eerie surroundings. The Manas Village's highest tower provides one of the best views of the Kyrgyzsky Ala-Too Mountains, which flank Bishkek to the south. Sunset over the mountains is particularly spectacular from this vantage point. It also overlooks one of Bishkek's 'new money' suburbs, archly referred to by locals as 'Tsarskoe Selo' (after the tsarist palace complex outside St Petersburg).
Marx and Engels In Dubovy Park, Marx and Engels still sit on their bench, deep in conversation. These days however, the pair is easily missed, since their names have been removed from the plinth below. As with the nearby statue of Felix
Dzerzhinsky (founder of the Soviet secret police) Kyrgyz people have taken a compromise approach to their heritage - preserving the statues which represent such an important part of recent history, but removing the plaques which honour them.
Victory Square (Площадь Победы) Close to the Dostuk Hotel, Victory Square was constructed in 1985 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Victory over Germany in the Second World War. The square's centrepiece is an enormous, skeletal yurt-shaped structure topped by a tunduk (the ring shaped roof opening of a yurt as seen in the middle of the Kyrgyz flag). A sculpted woman
waits beneath the yurt's beams for her husband to return from battle. The eternal flame is often extinguished and only relit for state occasions.
A steady procession of newlyweds come here for wedding photos - the women either in traditional Kyrgyz dress or European style white wedding gowns, the men in suits. A photo call in front of the monument forms part of the state wedding package.
Hippodrome (Ипподром) Located southwest of the city centre, the hippodrome is a large dirt racecourse, these days used only on special occasions. On Independence Day (31st August), traditional Kyrgyz equestrian sports are staged here. Besides horseback wrestling,
kyz-kumay ('kiss the girl' - men gallop after a horseback woman and get a slap if they fail to catch her, a kiss if they succeed), games of
ulak tartysh or 'baby goat pulling' are staged. Similarities can be drawn between ulak tartysh, which is played all over Central Asia under different names, and polo. Two teams on horseback try to take possession of a goat or calf carcass and score points by tossing it into a large container. Horses from the stud farm at Cholpon-Ata compete here at race
meetings.
The Basic Bishkek Book and a Bit Beyond has a section entitled 'Soviet Art and Spotting Lenin', explaining where to find all of Bishkek's hammers and sickles, Lenin friezes and mosaics of joyful proletarians. The 'Other Interesting Places in Bishkek' chapter has entries covering the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (probably the quietest in the world with an average weekly transaction
of $30,000), Ala-Archa Cemetery (where the first prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, shot dead in 1991 is buried), the Kyrgyz Film Studio and a circular worker's town finished in 1932 as part of the first five-year plan.
Why "Bishkek"? | Getting to Bishkek and Moving On
| Bishkek's History | Pictures of Bishkek |
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