Archive sections: ‘Kyrgyzstan’
The Kyrgyz for gold is “Altyn”, which is also used as a boy’s name. KyrgyzAltyn is the main, state run, company working in gold extraction. The company was created out of the Kyrgyz branch of the Soviet-era body responsible for precious metals, Yuzhpolmetal, In January 1993, President Akaev also brought the country’s mercury and antimony mines into [...]
A couple of weeks ago I got a telephone call from David, another ex-pat, whose mother was visiting him in Bishkek for the first time. He wanted to discuss where he could take her, what he could show her, … and, as I work in tourism, he thought I would be a good person to [...]
Formally established in 1938, the Botanical Gardens are operated by the Academy of Sciences and is one of the main resources for practical study by students of Biological and Pharmacological faculties in Bishkek’s universities and many of the capital’s schools organize field trips to explore the variety of plants in ITS collection. Courses, workshops and [...]
The Kyrgyz economy is basically a cash based economy. There is a banking system … as you might expect in a country that is sometimes called “The Switzerland of Central Asia” and although it is still fairly basic and nearly all transactions in the country are cash based, it is developing rapidly, and this situation [...]
The decision of the Swedish scientists towards the end of 2007 to state that Kyrgyzstan would be an ideal starting point for “Santa” on his annual trip to deliver presents to the world’s children came as a surprise to everyone in Kyrgyzstan. It certainly generated a lot of interest in the country from around the [...]
In some Western countries there is a day in Spring which is designated as “Mother’s Day” … in the US it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, as suggested by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia in 1908 … and this is, perhaps, one reason why International Women’s Day is not marked in the same [...]
Manti are a typical local dish. (There is, apparently, some dispute as to the origin of Manti – Turkish, Tartar, or … somewhere else in Central Asia.) They are small, steamed, dumplings with a filling of diced meat, onion and perhaps potato and/or pumpkin. Although manti are traditionally steamed - some recipes suggest boiling them, as with ravioli, but [...]
After attending the performance of Mozart’s opera, “Die Entführung aus dem Serail“, (which went far beyond the usual limits of the then current tradition of opera with its long and elaborately written songs), the emperor Joseph II is said to have remarked to the composer “Your work is ingenious. It’s quality work. And there are simply too many notes, [...]
Once a month I travel from Bishkek to Naryn. I usually look forward to the journey because, although it is a working trip, (the purpose being to inspect our guesthouse, receive reports, meet with officials, etc.), it also provides me with a break from my usual routine … and as the old cliché puts it: [...]
It was planned in 2005 to hold the First “Bishkek International Tourism Fair“, (BITF), but following the events of March 24th, it was cancelled. The following year, however, it went ahead. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism made a really good effort to make the event a success, and a suitable showcase for the country as a tourism [...]
