The best museums Bichkek

The restoration of this museum lost some of its panache, with the disappearance of the murals and painted ceilings in the purest Soviet realist style. After five years of renovation, the form has become less fascinating, but the collection remains interesting, with a vast collection dedicated to nomadic traditions and customs on the^1st floor (costumes, war equipment and harness, crafts, reproduction of a yurt...), and a second floor that takes a long look back at the Russian conquest and the Soviet period, with a wealth of weapons and period photographs.

Like the Musée d'Histoire, the Musée des Beaux-Arts underwent a famous facelift after the pandemic. Numerous works of painting and sculpture, once kept in reserve or displayed in dark corners, are now showcased in bright, pleasant spaces. There are no exceptional pieces in the collection, but there are some fine collections of handicrafts, as well as the usual litany of Russian and Kyrgyz painters from the Soviet period. The first floor hosts interesting temporary exhibitions.

In its original state, this museum is housed in the supposed home of the prestigious Soviet general Mikhail Frunze, born in Bishkek in 1885. Numerous photographs from the 1920s and propaganda posters are on display. The second floor is devoted to more contemporary military history. Press clippings even tell of the "Tulip Revolution" that put an end to the Akaev government. The first floor features a reconstruction of Frounze's house, oddly presented with a thatched roof.

The Museum of Zoology presents stuffed versions of all the flora and fauna of Kyrgyzstan. The stars, of course, are the Marco Polo sheep and the snow leopard (don't dream of seeing real ones in the country, so take advantage of this consolation prize), but enthusiasts will be able to spend time in front of the showcase of insects and butterflies brought back from Africa, the Himalayas or the Tian-Shan by Russian and Kyrgyz expeditions.