Walking tour of Bishkek: Soviet Architecture

Some academics actually come to visit Bishkek because it is one of the few places outside Russia that has retained almost all of its Soviet architecture and landmarks.  Today was my first day off since I arrived, so I had a fine time hiking around the main part of the city, absorbing this peculiar Soviet time capsule.

Above is the White House, built in 1985.  It is the home of the Presidential Office Building.  It is built in what architects literally call "Stalinist Modern Style."

Above is the the entrance to the State Historical Museum, built in 1984.  The front of the building faces the national square, known as Ala-Too Square (formerly Lenin Square).

Even the side of the building (above) offers no relief from its imposing style.  It is a classic example of the architectural movement known as "Soviet Brutalism."   The State Historical Museum is the one of the last monumental buildings created in the old Soviet Union using this style.

Above is the Kyrgyz House of Parliament.  It is built in an early classicist Soviet style.

Finally, a building that used to be a college, but is now in transition to another use--stern, severe, and realistic in its style.