11.07.2007
Bishkek City Information
Everything to know about staying awhileClickable Table of Contents SRAS thanks students Cheryl Collins and Michael Coffey for contributing to this guide. I. Weather/Health Concerns (back to top) The water is Bishkek is safe to drink but is quite hard (high in mineral content). Bottled water is cheap and widely available. The climate in Bishkek experiences extremes of heat in summer and cold in winter. However, the air is dry, so the cold does not feel as biting as in the northern U.S. The sun is strong and bright year-round. Consider bringing a good hat and sunscreen. Bishkek is a nice city to walk around in, but at night the streets are barely lit, if at all. Also, broken and uneven sidewalks can be a hazard in the dark. Many suggest avoiding walking the streets late at night, and taxis are cheap in any case. Consider a flashlight, which is also useful for finding apartment numbers in dark hallways. II. Hot Water and Heat (back to top) The city supplies heat to Bishkek homes; it's turned on in November and turned off in March. It can still be quite cold, especially at night, and many people have portable heaters. If you rent a furnished apartment, your landlord should provide one if needed. Hot water is turned off for a month in late March for maintenance; if you are here at that time and rent an apartment, make sure that it has its own hot water heater for that period. A good alternative to bathing at home (who woulda thought you'd be looking for an alternative, huh?) is the Zhirgal Banya at the corner of Toktogul and Ibraimov. While you sit the small wooden room and sweat, thrash yourself with some birch branches purchased from an old women outside, then jump in the icy cold water. It'll get you clean, invigorate you, and make you feel a bit more local all at the same time. III. Orientation: Where the Streets Have Two Names (back to top) Bishkek, like many places in the former Soviet Union, has renamed many of its streets and squares from Soviet-era Russian to Kyrgyz names; for example, the old Derzhinsky, named after the founder of the KGB, has been renamed Erkindik ("Freedom"). In many cases, the old signs have been left up with the new ones and people will use either name; maps will list one or both names (with one in parenthesis or as a one hyphenated name). VirCity.kg offers a map of Bishkek in Cyrillic with the new names. Be patient with it; it's slow. IV. Food, Nightlife, and Such (back to top) Traditional Experiences: Jalalabad is just around the corner from Beta Stores on Chui Prospect. Locals love this place for its Central Asian cuisine: plov, lagman and especially besh barmak ('five fingers' in Kyrgyz). The name of the food is how you're supposed to eat it! Another good experiance is Fakir, an always-busy restaurant that features tasty fresh laghman and other traditional dishes. It's cheap, and very popular with locals. Open for lunch and dinner, with beer available and tucked away directly behind the Bishkek City shopping mall, on Syumbaeva. Also try Faiza on Jibek Jolu.
For the Homesick: Toggi's is the center of the expat universe in Bishkek, it's also close to AUCA. The food is consistently fresh, well-prepared, and reasonably priced. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Chui street near Sovetskaya. If Toggi's is the sun around which the expat universe revolves, Metro – also known by its former name of "the American bar" – is definitely its moon. This place is very popular, with Bishkek-style American and Mexican food. There are locals who come by to party, but they're usually accompanied by western friends. Open for breakfast at 10. There are also new English-language books for sale (Chui, 106).
For Music: A favorite close to AUCA, Old Edgar ("Stari Edgar") is a cozy spot that features good food, nice atmosphere, and live music in the evening (Panfilov, 273 - attached to the Russian Drama Theatre). Doka Pizza features a very good jazz combo most nights. The pizza is barely OK, but that's not why you go. They even run their own reasonably priced taxi service for those who've drunk too much (Sovetskaya, 97a). For more places, for those who speak Russian, catch up on the "in scene" for modern music in Bishkek at Rock.kg. For those whose Russian isn't so good, try LG.kg, which has a fairly straitforward listing of clubs with addresses, etc.
Specialty Tastes: Steinbrau offers freshly brewed beer and German dishes, plus local favorites like shashlyk. It's set up as a beer hall, with long communal tables, and lots of outdoor seating in the warm months (Gertse, 5). Yusa has freshly prepared and reasonably priced Turkish food. A favorite of the embassy set, it's quite busy during the week for lunch and dinner (Logvinenko, 14). Lebanese Kitchen offers lots of Middle Eastern favorites, with an option to order an array of maza, or small dishes, and wash it all down with strong coffee. A bit pricey by Bishkek standards, but worth it if you want a change of pace (Frunze, 429). Lastly, there are lots of cheap Chinese restaurants around Tsum and close to the Circus; look for the telltale red lanterns out front.
Soviet Retro: If you want a blast of the Soviet past, stop at Kafe Blinnaya, a stolovaya close to the university that seems to have barely changed since the pre-perestroika years, down to the cafeteria worker wearing the tall white hat. On Abdumomunova, near Sovietskaya. Next to the stolovaya (and actually connected to it), is KrasnoArmeika, an inexpensive bar that offers shashlyk and outdoor seating in summer months. It's just a stone's throw from the university, on Abdumomunova.
Try the Rabbit: U Mazaya is a small, cozy, grotto-like restaurant that features rabbit dishes. It's also known for its extensive cocktail menu. Tucked away on Sovetskaya, just south of Jibek Jolu; look for the blinking sign with the white rabbit, and head down the steps. (The name seems strange given that Mazay is a character from a Russian story who saves a bunch of rabbits from drowning after their burrows were flooded.)
Dining in: For the largest selection of food, there is the Turkish-owned Beta Stores (Chui, 150). It's probably the only place in town you can buy taco shells, if you really have a jones one night. There is also the popular Narodni chain that offers a good selection, as well. Keep in mind that buying locally produced food products (such as cheese or jams) will help support the desperately poor rural areas. There is also good locally produced peanut butter in the refrigerated section! Think twice about where and to whom you want your som to go.
Kyrgyztour.com offers a sizable listing of still more eateries, etc. V. Contact with the Outside World (back to top) Internet cafes: As most homes are not yet equipped for high-speed Internet, and many people can not afford their own computer or a permanent connection, Internet cafes are extremely popular in Bishkek. Going rates for an hour are around 1-2 USD. NeoPlanet (Sovetskaya, 145, behind the Kara-Balta Store; Tel: 66-56-64)
ABC (Moskovskaya, 162; Tel: 21-48-08)
Valley-Net (Kievskaya, 162; Tel: 21-83-15)
Park Net (Chui, 134; Tel: 61-10-22)
Soyuz (Ibraimova, 57; Tel: 68-12-15)
Kyrghyzstan.kg offers listings for many, many more (in Russian). You can also connect your laptop from home by purchasing special dial-up cards. Calling to/from Bishkek: Local numbers have six digits (not seven). To call Bishkek city phone numbers (land-lines) from America, use the format 996-312-(the six-digit phone number). Do not dial "1" before the number. Calling to America from Bishkek is easy, just dial the number as you usually one for a long-distance call. Internet cafes (see above) also offer the cheapest way to call home using VoIP technology (for around 5 som a minute). Newspapers/Books: Get English-language magazines and newspapers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Sovetskaya, 19). Go by Fatboy's (on Chui, near Sovetskaya) for American food and a small English-language library. Metro (Chui, 106) also sells books. Raritet is the city's most extensive bookstore, with maps and a few English-language books tucked away on the shelves, plus English-Russian dictionaries. Also keep an eye out for Bishkek Observer or Times of Central Asia - free, local, English-language newspapers. Post: The post office is centrally located at the corner of Sovetskaya and Chui. You can purchase stamps and mail letters there. You might consider taking a box if you will be in Bishkek for sometime. For shipping or receiving packages or important documents, you try the local FedEx (Moskva, 217; Tel: 65-00-12) or DHL (Kiev 107; Tel; 611-11-11) as they are nearly always faster and safer. VI. Money (back to top) Currency: The Kyrgyz som (as of 4/24/06) is worth about 1/40 of a USD. Your Finances: ATMs are available, but we recommend using only those connected with major banks (see below). ATMs can be used to steal information and money. Keep in mind that both the ATM and your bank at home might charge you fees for the transaction in a foreign country. Traveler's Cheques are another option, and several banks will cash them, but again for a fee. You can also bring dollars and exchange them for som but know that all bills must be clean, crisp, unmarked notes dated after 1995. Your bank at home will look at you funny when you ask for these, but any mark will render the currency worthless in Bishkek. Notes lower than a fifty-dollar bill will bring a lower exchange rate. Do not, and this should go without saying, exchange with someone on the street that offers you a really good deal. Many banks now offer Western Union and MoneyGram wire-transfer services as well. However, if you can wait a couple of days, having someone deposit money into your account at home (which can be done by just mailing a check with instructions and your account number to the bank) and then withdrawing the money from a trusted ATM is cheaper. Recommended banks: AKB Bank (Togolok Moldo, 54 - German operated), Bank Baikal (Isanov, 75), and Demir Kyrgyz Bank (Chui, 245) all offer exchange, ATM, and cash advance. The Kazkommerzbank ATMs, including the one at Tsum, are also a safe bet. VII. Shopping (back to top) If you absolutely have to shop at high-end western retail stores, you can try the boutiques nestled into the colonnade near Ata-Too square. There are also a few new shiny malls, like Silk Way (Chui, 147) and Karavan (on Kievskaya). However, many folks still go to the bazaars to buy clothes and other goods. Tsum is always busy, too. Every major Soviet city had a Tsum built in the center, Bishkek's is at the corner of Chui and Shopokov. For quick souvenir shopping, you can head to Tsum or the second floor of Beta Stores (corner of Chui and Isanova) for marked-up souvenirs. You can also hunt down some beautiful felt work and other textile crafts at Kyrgyz Heritage (Chui, 120 - on the second floor) or Kyrgyz Style (Bokonbayeva, 133) at Logvinenko (close to Yusa). There are also regular craft fairs and exhibitions; keep an eye on the Bishkek Observer or Times of Central Asia. If you want to hone your bargaining skills, you can buy from folks with tables on the street or venture to the bazaars. As a westerner, you are a target for an instant markup, so if you want to play it safe, shop at stores, kiosks, and bazaar stalls where the goods are priced as marked. VIII. Performances (back to top) Music and Dance: Check out the Philharmonia (Chui, 210; Tel: 21-92-92), or the State Opera and Ballet Theater (Sovietskaya, 167; Tel: 66-18-41). You'll likely be surprised by the quality!
Drama: The Russian Drama Theatre (Tynystanov, inside Dubovy Park) plays Russian classics. For local flare, try the State Academic Drama Theatre (Panfilov, 273; Tel: 21-69-58) for Kyrgyz classical theatre or Dom Kino (Logvinenko, 13; Tel: 66-22-76) for Kyrgyz folk theatre.
Purely Traditional: Kyrgyzstan has recently undergone a cultural revival and many traditional forms of performance are making strong comebacks after decades of Soviet censorship and repression. NoviNomad.com runs a listing for these. See also SRAS's recent article on Manas performances, if this sort of thing interests you.
Children's Theatre: If you're feeling less confident about your language comprehension, you might want to try the State Puppet Theater (Abdyrahmanova, 230A) or the Children's Theatre (right next door). Both are good options, whatever your language level! In season, the performances at the puppet theater are on Sundays at 11 am.
Circus: The building most often hosts circuses from China and other CIS country's at the corner of Frunze and Sovietskaya. IX. Doctors and Clinics (back to top) Emergency Ambulance Service: Dial "151" from any land line.
General Care: German-Kyrgyz Medical Center (94/1 Akhunbaev; Tel: 51-21-97; E-mail: balbakell@elcat.kg) or VIP Clinic (110 Kievskaya Street; Tel: 66-35-49, 22-89-60)
Surgery: Chui Hospital (10 Saratovskaia; Tel: 28-07-94, 28-08-02)
Chiropractic Care: Dr. Peter Dinich (US Certified - Tel: 58-83-66)
Dental Care: Private Dental Clinic VYTAS (89 Shopokova; Tel: 99-63-12, 28-46-59) or The Diplomat Dental Salon (Tel: 99-63-12, 28-67-31)
Pharmacies: Prestige (Kievskaya, 95a; Tel: 62-14-62) or Neman (Moskovskaya, 139; Tel: 62-29-37; or (Manas, 8; Tel: 21-67-92) or Central Pharmacy (Frunze, 340; Tel: 68-10-05) Notes: Most medical centers do not directly accept American insurance. You will need need to pay up front and submit the receipt to your insurance agency for a refund. Each entry above (except pharmacies) has advertised that English speaking care is available. X. Museums and Monuments (back to top) Ala-Too Square is to Bishkek what the Kremlin is to Moscow: it's the center of the country's government and the city's life. Unfortunately, it's not as pretty as the Kremlin, as it was built almost entirely from Soviet concrete and asphalt. The main sites here are the White House (Presidential Palace), the "Statue of Liberty" (which replaced one of Lenin in 1991), and the Flagstaff, which is ceremoniously raised and lowered every day at sunrise and sunset respectively and which has a guard changed every hour on the daylight hour. The State Historical Museum, just behind Ala-Too Square, displays the archaeological and ethnic history of the area. There are no English signs yet, but for buffs of Communist history the Revolution exhibit is a must-see as it exists largely unchanged from Communist times. The State Museum of the Fine Arts (Sovetskaya, 196) is an unimpressive building housing a remarkable collection of local artwork, produced in both folk and classical styles. Statue to the Martyrs of the Revolution showcases Urkuya Salieva (in the middle). She was a Kyrgyz woman who organized a collective of soldiers for the Red Army and then was killed by "rich peasants" who feared for their property. She is surrounded by smaller memorials to other revolutionaries and the "awakening proletariat." The Frunze House-Museum is a modest thatched cottage engulfed by a two-storey museum, propaganda, and military weaponry. Mikhail Frunze was a native of Bishkek and is credited with whipping the town into submission during the Russian civil war. He's understandably not Kyrgyzstan's favorite son and the fact that this well-kept museum and the large statue of him gallantly on horseback near the railway station still stand is interesting in and of itself. Felix Derzhinsky (the founder of the KGB, whose services are also not fondly remembered by most locals) also oddly still has a statue. He's been moved to one side of the National Library (near the corner of Sovetskaya and Ibraimov - he used to be near the entrance of Dubovy Park) and his name has been removed, but the statue still stands. The Avenue of Heroes lines the park that divides Molodaya Gvardiya. The busts of heroes and statues of soldiers declare on repeated plaques: "We went to war for Communism!" The memorial was built by the Komsomol in the 1960s. There is giant MIG airplane on Kievskaya in front of the National Guard headquarters. The city was once famous for training fighter pilots. The Manas Statuary Complex (outside the Philharmonia at Chui, 210) shows the Kyrgyz national hero in a pose that strikingly resembles the Moscow logo of St. George, no doubt to show that similarities between between Kyrgyz and Russian cultures existed in the Soviet imagination. Manas is shown slaying a dragon (he is also guarded by one in the legends about him). His wife, Kanykei, is to his right in the traditional Kyrgyz dress of married women that can still occasionally be seen on the streets of Bishkek. Kanykei was his confidant and trusted adviser, part of a small but prominent tradition of strong women in ancient Kyrgyz history. Also featured are several statues of famous manashchi, the traditional bards that handed down the Manas legend from generation to generation. They are positioned as they would have sat in a yurt and recited their poetic tales. Although the tradition is now reviving, the Soviets broke this traditional chain by censoring and officially discouraging traditional forms of the tale as too "nationalist" for the USSR. Of those depicted, Sayakbay is known as the greatest bard. XI. Places to Walk, Hang Out, Hike, Travel, etc. (back to top) Panfilov Park houses Bishkek's Spartak Stadium, as well as a variety of Soviet-built amusement park rides (wheeeee!) and a good deal of the city's population on national holidays. Panfilov Park is named for General Ivan Panfilov, who died leading a regiment of mostly Kyrgyz infantry against Nazi tanks near Moscow. You'll see several monuments and mentions of him and his infantry around town. Dubovy Park is named for the century-old oak trees inside ("oak" is дубовый in Russian). In summer, this peaceful park hosts open air cafes and art shows. Other major attractions include The Red Guards' Memorial, a giant red obelisk marking the common grave of Bolsheviks who died in the 1918 counter-revolution. The man credited with defeating that counter-revolution is Yakov Nikoforovich Logvinenko, who is also buried here (he died several years later) and whose name is still on a local street sign. There is also a very congenial monument of Marx chatting with Engels, probably about the Monument to the Glory of Labor (also featured here) or maybe about one of the former "Great Kyrgyz Politicians" whose busts line one trail of the park. Victory Square (corner of Frunze and Ibraimov) boasts two major monuments. The first is "Manas 1000," a giant concrete yurt (traditional Kyrgyz housing) which was built to honor the 1000th birthday of the legendary Kyrgyz hero, Manas. The date also handily coincided with the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII. The other monument, an eternal flame with a female statue who eternally mourns her fallen soldier husband and son, solemnly remembers the end of that bloody war. XII. Sports and Exercise (back to top) Full-service fitness clubs: There are several offering aerobics, weight training, and swimming. Try the Karven Club (Gogolya, 77; Tel: 68-12-18), which also offers generous discounts to International Student Card holders. Others include the Dolphin Sports Complex (Chokmorova, 304 – at the intersection with Molodaya Gvardiya) and the Sports Palace (Togolok Moldo, across from Spartak Stadium and the tennis courts). The Equestrian School (Bakinskaya, 204; Tel: 27-96-98) gives horseback riding lessons. The Maple Leaf Golf and Country Club was built by Canadians (in case you were wondering about the name). Rent your equipment from the Pro Shop, complete 9-holes of golf course surrounded by the Tian Shan Mountains and then stop by the Club House for drinks. To get out and see the coutnryside, contact Community Based Tourism, a private agency that promotes “socially and environmentally responsible” travel throughout Kyrgyzstan, from the remote village of Kara-Suu to the tourist area of Lake Issyk-Kul. Its list of activities and prices are refreshingly transparent. You can sleep over in a yurt (roughly 350 som, or about $9, at 39 som to the dollar), watch a folklore concert (600 som) or rent a camel (80 som an hour). Cheap, yes, but more important, the money goes directly to the people of Kyrgyzstan, rather than into tour operators’ pockets. (The preceeding review was taken from a NY Times article from 7/26/06.) We have also heard good things about NoviNomad.com. They have offices in central Bishkek, (Togolok Moldo, 28; Tel: 62-23-81; Email: novinomad@elcat.kg) and can arrange all manner of eco-tourism from hiking in canyons, to skiing on glaciers, to building yurts with Kyrgyz craftsmen. XIII. Official Holidays (back to top) DATE | HOLIDAY | TYPE | January 2 | New Year's Day | State | January 7 | Orthodox Christmas | Religious/Orthodox | January 10 | Kurman Ait (Sacrifice Day) | Religious/Muslim | March 8 | International Women's Day | State | March 21 | People's Holiday Nooruz | Religious/Muslim (Pagan) | May 1 | Labor Day | State | May 5 | Constitution Day | State | May 9 | Victory Day | State | August 31 | Kyrgyz Independence Day | State | November | Orozo Ait (End of Ramadan) | Religious/Muslim | November 7 | Great October Revolution Day | State |
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