Must see attractions in Bishkek

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Collections of Kyrgyz embroidery and felt rugs, a splendid variety of paintings, and rotating exhibitions of local and international touring works all…

Surveyed by a triumphant statue of Айкол Манас (Mighty Manas), Bishkek's nominal centre is architecturally neobrutalist in style but has a photogenic…

Bishkek's most central bazaar has a certain compulsive interest and is an important city landmark. For traditional Kyrgyz clothes, including white…

Originally built as the St Nicholas Cathedral, the steeple was removed and this space converted to an art museum during the Soviet period. The building…

Well-curated irregular exhibitions on a wide variety of themes and a grungy hipster-chic space make this a great stop for art seekers. Go through the gate…

This one-room gallery hosts rotating thematic exhibitions of works primarily by local artists. Much of it is for sale, and there is a handful of applied…

Where wide, green Erkindik (Freedom) Ave enters this pleasant central park, artists sell a range of locally themed paintings. There's a small open-air…

This bazaar built primarily of repurposed shipping has shrunk somewhat since Kyrgyzstan joined the Eurasian Customs Union, but is still an atmospheric…

Packed with amusements and carnival rides, this city-centre park is particularly pleasant and popular with local families on summer weekends.

This modest museum forms a concrete shell around the thatched cottage that was allegedly the birthplace of Mikhail Vasilievich Frunze (1885–1925), for…

Run by the son of the legend himself, this was once the working studio of Kyrgyz National Artist Gapar Aitiev. It will be of interest to visitors with a…

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII, this monument is designed to evoke three symbolic yurt struts curving above an eternal flame. It…

The seat of government in Kyrgyzstan, the sidewalk out front of this Stalinist Modern construction is also the site of regular protests organised by local…

Dedicated to the 'Queen of the Alay', this 19th-century stateswoman and tribal leader was famous in Kyrgyzstan long before being featured in a 2014 film…

All but disappeared now, this historic Кузнечная крепость (Blacksmith's fortress) site was the location of an early-1800s Kokhand fortification, built…

Worth a quick look for the variety of sculptures (both working models and finished versions) of famous Kyrgyz and fabled legends, though it's a small…

The bright blue spires of this Russian Orthodox cathedral, opened in 1947, stand out along Jibek Jolu. The spartan interior, decorated with icons and…

Having once dominated Ala-Too Square, Vladimir Ilyich turned his back on the mountains in 2003 and now lurks behind the National Historical Museum.

The peculiar architecture of the Kyrgyz Circus, in what looks like a 1950s UFO, stands out on the far edge of Victory Square.