PARKS

Bishkek is reknowned for being a «green» city, with more trees per head of population than any other city in Central Asia. It ows this distinction to the Russian Army Engineers who drew up the plans for the city when it became the regional headquarters towards the end of the nineteenth century, and to individuals who planted trees to provide shade from the heat of the summer sun. Locals and visitors alike can be found ambling through the parks and the avenues in the central part of town — taking it easy and soaking up the atmosphere. In the cenre itself, many of the open areas merge one into the other and it is not always clear where one park ends and the next begins. Some of the parks may appear a little disheveled — but that doesn«t mean that they are not cared for. The outlying districts have fewer trees, but do have some parks and open areas. Here is a list of the green areas basically working from South to North:

Kemal Attaturk Park — on Akhunbaeva — This park used to be called Drujba Park (Friendship Park) but was renamed in honour of the founder of modern Turkey, whose statue stands at the entrance on Akhunbaeva. Inside the park is a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the war in Afghanistan with the inscription «People, Don»t Forget the Lessons of the Past«. Also in the park are a large Ferris Wheel and other amusements — and on summer days there are often people selling collectables (stamps, badges, etc.)

The Gareeva Botanical Garden — on Akhunbaeva — managed by the Academy of Sciences

Arbetorum Botanical Garden — off Gorky Street — about 130 acres managed by the Academy of Sciences and bisected by the Minina Street.

The Hippodrome — West of Robochiy Gorodok. A dirt racetrack sometimes used on holidays for National Horse Games — and the home of a riding stables.

Togolok Moldo Park — off Moscovskaya — a small rarely visited park. Just to the West of the park is a well preserved small wooden house (No. 145) which is typical of the sort built by the original Russian settlers to the area in Tsarist times.

Prospect Erkindik — Running from the Railway Station down to Prospect Chui. Now called Prospect Erkindik — (Freedom Avenue) it was originally named «the Boulevard» in 1902. In 1924 it was renamed as «Komsolmolskaya», and later as «Prospect Derzhinsky» after the founder of the Cheka — the secret police and forerunner of the NKVD — itself the forerunner of the KGB. The main part of the street marks a promenade under the silver poplars planted in 1883 over a filled-in streambed. It is a favourite spot for local to simply stroll in the evenings, weekends and on holidays. The street is flanked by many old, expensive, buildings, and a number of monuments including, Michail Frunze on horseback and the Kyrgyz «Statue of Liberty» which replaced an earlier statue of Derzhinsky. Actually the Avenue continunes further North of Oak Park down to Jibek Jolu. On the sides of the section of the Avenue you can find some of the Ministerial buildings and the first Bank built in 1926 (where you have to pay your fees for OVIR registration) and the headquarters of the Security organization the MNB — which is the new, Kyrgyz, name for the KGB.

Molodaya Gvardia — (Avenue of the Young Guards) — once a stream bed filled in by Army engineers and converted into a boulevard. The Avenue runs from the Railway line to the Northern edge of the city. There are a number of monuments to war heroes including the Avenue of Heroes and Komsomol monument on Prospect Chui.

Fuchika Park — at the intersection of Fuchika and Moscovskaya — built by the Czech Socialist volunteers of Interhelpa who came in answer to Lenin«s call for assistance to build a new socialist land, completed in 1936 and named after the Czech Socialist leader.

Panfilov Park — behind the White House — this wass once called Red Star Park because of the pattern made by its network of pathways, but renamed in honour of the war hero whose stautue can be found at the Eastern end of the park. The park is filled with amusement rides for children and a small ferris wheel.

Oak Park — between Prospect Chui and Abdumomunova, West of Sovietskaya — began as an gove of Oaks planted by Alexei Fetisov in 1890 and home to the Russian Drama Theatre, The Memorial to the Red Guards and the Open Air Museum of Sculpture.

Gorky Park — on the corner of Isanovna and Ryskulova — behind the Palace of Sports. This park is an open area with a statue of Maxim Gorky. Much smaller than it«s namesakes in Moscow, Almaty etc. it sometimes serves as an impromtu running track for sportment in training and a place for protest demonstrations — but can be a pleasant place to sit in the cool of the evening — the lack of trees may make it too hot for the full glare of the summer sun furing the day.

Park Pobeda (Victory Park) — on Sultan Ibraimova Street between Proect Chui and Frunze — and open area on the site of the former Central Bazaar and containing the Vistory War Memorial.

Ala Archa Cemetry — On Abdumomunova, West of Molodaya Gvardia. Cemetries are interesting places, often being peaceful parks as well as places as interest historically and socially. Bishkek has a number of cemeteries in the outlying districts — this one is relatively near the city center. There are anumber of attractive tombs inclufing two oif the Prime Ministers of the newly independent country — one assisinated at the Presidential residence in Chalpon Ata on Issyk Kul in 1991 (a crime which has never been solved) and the other who died in office after a period of illness in 1999.

Children's Park — on the corner of Sovietskaya and Michurina — once the private property of Bishkek»s first mayor, Alexei Fetisov, (whose house is still to be found in the grounds behing a concrete wall), the park is home to the puppet theatre.

Karagchovaya Rosha (Elm Grove) — North of the Grand Chui Canal, some distance to the East of Sovietskaya. Created out of swampland by Alexei Fetisov this park is criss-crossed by concrete walkways beneath the trees and is especially attractive in Autumn and Winter — but because it is so far from the city centre attracts fewer visitors than it«s size might merit.