Urban design is a complicated subject for post-Communist locations. Many were founded in ancient times, meaning that their centers feature tight, winding streets and a density of historical structures that make new developments and reforms difficult. Many were expanded greatly by the communists, with new districts of sprawling and utilitarian block housing, new imposing buildings of experimental architectural design, and, often, massive new public transport systems. Most of the cities considered here have also gone through a renaissance of sorts in the post-Soviet era, discovering ways to make more of their city districts modern, comfortable, and more functional.
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 […]
