Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

source: theorientalcaravan.com

Оne story says that the city of Bishkek was named after a plunger of the wooden churn (bishkek), which Kyrgyz use for cooking kumis, popular Kyrgyz tipple, that is conjured from fermented mare’s milk. However, according to another version the name comes from the words besh kek, which literally translates as five chiefs, or besh bik, which is Kazakh for five peaks. The name Bishkek may even have more ancient etymology of the word and derive from pishagakh - an ancient Sogdian term that translates as a place beneath the mountains. One way or another, but today Bishkek is the largest city of Kyrgyzstan, as well as modern cultural, political and economic center of the republic. This is a quiet town with wide streets and beautiful houses with its regular life. Arriving in Bishkek, the first thing that attracts attention is that the city is literally buried in greenery. Huge number of parks makes the air exceptionally fresh and clean. They say that there are more trees per person than in any other city of Central Asia.

Geographical location

The city is located in the heart of the Chui valley, at the foot of the snow-white mountains of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too, at an altitude of 750 m above sea level. The area of the city is 160 square. km.

Climate

The climate is continental in Bishkek and the average annual air temperature is 10,2 ° C. The coldest month is January (-24,7 ° C), the warmest - July, (34,5 ° C).

Population Bishkek

source: religion.info

The population for 2009 is 1022 thousand people. In the period of the Soviet Union the percentage of Russian-speaking population prevailed in the city, but after the collapse of the USSR, the Kyrgyz people became to make up more than a half of the population of the city. However, there is a relatively high proportion of the various ethno-linguistic minorities in Bishkek. According to the 1999 census 52.1% of the population is Kyrgyz, 33.2% - Russian, 2.1% - Ukrainians, 2.1% - the Tatars, 1.7% - the Koreans, 1.7% - Uzbeks, 1.7% - the Uighurs, 1.6% - Kazakhs, 0.7% - the Germans , 0.5% - Dungan, 0.4% - the Turks, 0.4% - the Azeris. Kyrgyz is the state language, meanwhile Russian language serves as a means of international communication.

Architecture

Main and a favorite place for leisure and walks of most locals and tourists is the center of Bishkek. Here, there are a lot of museums, galleries, shops, parks, squares, restaurants and cafes. Here you can also see the monuments of great people of the epoch, reflecting important milestones of the history and events. Among them are sculptures of fighters for the Soviet power in Kyrgyzstan and the Eternal Flame to the heroes, who fell in the Great Patriotic War.

History of Bishkek

The area in which Bishkek is situated has been inhabited for thousands of years. Stone artefacts found in the area date to the 5th century BC. Evidence of settlement during the Bronze Age (roughly 3000 BC) suggests the inhabitants engaged in agriculture, pastoral activities, and metalworking.

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Internet resources on Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan

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