21 Quirky Things to See in Bishkek: Soviet Style
What even is there to do in Bishkek? You’ll hear people tell you just to use Kyrgyzstan’s capital as a base for getting your flight in and out of the country. ‘There’s not much to do here, so don’t spend much time here.’
Well, yes, there aren’t tons of ‘things to do’, BUT if you have any interest in architecture and Soviet style architecture at that, well, Bishkek is a playground! There are tons of things to see in Bishkek instead of do.
Huge mural mosaics, some really ugly but characterful buildings, some beautiful buildings, large parks with flags and some almost aggressive looking statues, tree-covered boulevards.
It’s an interesting place to explore, but you won’t find a conventional ‘top 10 things to do in Bishkek’ here. But you’re heading to Kyrgyzstan, so I already know you’re up for the less-conventional!
Here are all our favourite things to see in Bishkek with a Soviet twang.
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Buildings
1. Kyrgyz State Circus
One of my favourite buildings in Bishkek purely because it’s so unusual! I don’t like or recommend the actual circus goings-on, but the building itself is UFO-style and bright yellow and green.
2. Wedding Palace
Common across ex-Soviet republics, wedding palaces are particularly grand buildings used as a replacement for religious buildings to marry in.
During Soviet occupation, there was an attempt to remove or ban religion, which resulted in these wedding palaces so that people could marry without the religious attachment to the ceremony.
3. The White House
The White House is a huge and striking presidential building with preened gardens and trees surrounding it.
4. Ala-Too Cinema
The cinema is still functional today, though we never watched a film here, just photographed it from the outside! It’s a quirky and curved building with communist mosaic decoration on the second level.
5. and the Cash Desk
The cash desk (KACCA) round the corner was super cute!
6. Kozhomkul Sports Palace
Pretty stark and solid white all over, it’s not the prettiest, but it’s unique and has a large statue sat right outside.
7. State History Museum
A big white marble box with a huge wall of glass.
8. National Library of Kyrgyzstan
Another particularly grey and stark building, but this has unique features along the walls with harsh lines that is pretty aesthetically pleasing.
9. Arches near Ala-Too Square
I just liked the feature of the symmetrical arches over the windows of the buildings surrounding Ala-Too Square.
10. National Academy of Sciences – Institute of Geology
This one is unique! Decorated tiling and the layers of concrete make it stand out next to the other plainer concrete buildings.
Savvy Traveller Pro Tips 🇰🇬
After exploring Kyrgyzstan for six weeks, these are our favourite booking tools that we couldn’t travel without!
Street Art
Bishkek has a lot of Soviet mosaics, murals, bas reliefs, street art. And these ones were our favourites!
11. ‘Our Work to You, Motherland’
THE best of the lot in my opinion! It’s so intricate and powerful.
It’s on the side of a block of flats that is surrounded by a fence, so you may or may not be able to get close to it depending on whether the gate is open.
12. Radio and Nowadays
A huge mosaic on the side of a building with ‘RADIO’ in Cyrillic on a sign on top of the building.
13. Yurt Bas Relief
Now, this one is a little more difficult to find, but if you save the location 503/2 Frunze Street, you’ll find it! It depicts a yurt, local people in traditional clothing, and men riding horses.
14. Science Pebble Mosaic
Not really sure what this pebble mosaic is of, but it looks to me as though it is scientists and a rocket taking off in the background.
It’s not on a wall parallel to the street, but it’s dead close to this beauty salon on Google Maps – Profi Touch.
15. Circus Bas Relief
Don’t just check out the architecture, make sure you wander round the building to see the bas relief of clowns and acrobats.
16. Enlightenment Mosaic
Enlightenment is in a completely different style to most of the rest of Bishkek’s street art as it has a mysterious, blurred feel to it.
17. ‘Lenin is with us’ Mosaic
This wall mosaic depicts Lenin standing and pointing.
Parks, Squares & Statues
18. Erkindik Boulevard
This green, leafy walkway is a lovely spot to wander when you need a little respite from the Kyrgyz summer heat. There is an area where locals gather to play chess here too.
19. Ala-Too Square
The central square has a huge Kyrgyz flag, statues, decorative water fountains, and colourful flower beds. In the summer time, you’ll see families with children splashing in the water.
20. Memorial Eternal Flame
The arches of this monument seem to symbolise the Kyrgyz yurt, and in the centre is an eternal flame to remember the lives lost during WW2.
21. Monument to the Victims of the April Revolution and Aksy Shooting
This prominent statue is to remember those that dies during uprisings in the early 2000s to oust a former president and to combat corruption.
What else is there to do in Bishkek?
Had your fill of all the Sovietness?
Ok, yeah, there’s not a huge amount of other things to do, but I would definitely not miss a trip to Osh market! It’s huge and you can buy almost anything from here, from watermelons larger than a toddler to traditional kalpaks (the high hats you see the local men wearing).
How to Get to Bishkek
Bishkek’s airport, Manas International (FRU), sees direct flights from the surrounding Stans, the Middle East, Russia, China, India, and South Korea.
Coming from the west, your best bet is probably with a layover in Istanbul or Dubai. Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and even Wizz Air fly to Bishkek.
If you’re already in Kyrgyzstan, all roads lead to Bishkek!
The most challenging route would be from Osh to Bishkek (a journey we have done ourselves) and it takes a good 12-14 hours through mountain passes in a shared taxi or marshrutka.
Bishkek also has bus/marshrutka connections with nearby Almaty, Kazakhstan and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Where to Stay in Bishkek
Meeting Place Bishkek (£)
For a more budget-friendly option, Meeting Place Bishkek is a hostel with dorms and private rooms.
It is in a great location, has breakfast included each morning and has communal areas inside and outside. The reviews at this hostel are some of the best we have seen!
🛏️ Plan your stay 🛏️
Inter Hotel Bishkek (££)
For somewhere a little fancier for a nice comfy recovery after a long flight, Inter Hotel Bishkek has large and beautiful rooms and is in a great location to explore the city.
🛏️ Reserve your room 🛏️
Where to Eat in Bishkek for Vegetarians
Bishkek has some great restaurants, but if you’re vegetarian, it is definitely more of a challenge. We have spent ten days in the capital and managed to hunt down five of the best spots that cater to vegetarians in Bishkek. And if you’re exploring other spots in Kyrgyzstan too, try to hunt down these vegetarian-friendly classic Kyrgyz dishes.
Plan more of your trip with these:
- Travel Tips for Kyrgyzstan: 10 Useful Things to Know
- Vegetarian Food in Kyrgyzstan: 15 Must-Eats!
- 5 Best Restaurants in Bishkek for Vegetarians
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