The Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek today features mosques scattered throughout its streets. Amazingly, nearly all of these mosques were constructed after the Kyrgyz Republic declared independence in 1991. The city was constructed mostly by Tsarist Russia and the USSR, neither of which encouraged the construction of mosques. The construction boom in Bishkek is testament to […]

The Open Air Sculpture Museum consists of 90 unique sculptures all lining the green and leafy pathways of Oak Park in central Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The sculpture garden was established in 1984 as part of the All Union Sculptors Symposium that took place in Bishkek at that time. The symposium was held under the theme of […]

The Alley of Heroes is located in a well-shaded park spanning 1.5 km in length that runs down the middle of Jash Gvardiya Boulevard. The monument itself is centrally located at the intersection of Chuy Avenue, around 2.5 km due west of Ala-Too Square. The park is an enjoyable place to spend time to chat, […]

The Kyrgyz were largely a nomadic civilization up until the 20th century. It should be no surprise, then, that many of Kyrgyzstan’s greatest museums are outside and/or in rural areas. The city of Bishkek also has a number of more traditional museums, mostly established during (and today often unchanged from) Soviet times, including a number […]

There is a lot going on in Bishkek and there are a lot of pleasant parks and a few wide, shaded boulevards. While walking along them looking around, in the quieter areas, you will notice the sound of a babbling brook. Look down and you will find one of Bishkek’s most interesting characteristics that no […]

New SRAS students at the London School in Bishkek are introduced to the city and some of its major landmarks on a walking tour shortly after arrival. I took this tour on the afternoon of my first day here at the end of August. It was hot, the streets were busy, and little stands along […]