THE Spektator №12 October 2010

Your monthly guide to what’s happening in and around Bishkek

Up Air
Ele pec
in

cti ial!
S
on
s
the

Plus:
Kicking back in
Barskoon & Tamga
In search of
Sunken Cities
2010 Elections:
The Style Guide

. .
Tourist Map What’s On Restaurant Guide
0312 66 40 79
Boulevard Erkindik 27
 Focus

ContentsThe Spektator Magazine

Whispers of History
Our friends the Trekking Union of Kyr-
gyzstan (TUK) go on a jaunt around the
сountry’s favourite lake in search of
sunken cities and semi-valuable artefacts.
14

Founder: Tom Wellings Nevermind the Ballots...

...its the Spektator style guide to the Oc-
16
Managing Editor: Chris Rickleton tober elections. Want to know your Boba-
(editor@thespektator.co.uk) novs from your Baisalovs? Get the word
on your favourite Kyrgyz politicians plus
fashion analysis from Tilek and Saltanat.

Staff writers: Alex Ward (alexward@

thespektator.co.uk), Robert Marks
(robertmarks@thespektator.co.uk),
Natalya Wells, Evan Harris,
Patrick Barrow, Pavel Kropotkin This Month
Anthony Butts (anthonybutts@
thespektator.co.uk) News and Views
Its all about voter registration, smear cam-
4
Guest Contributor: Zein Javed paigns, kickboxing candidates and Uzbek
reticence as Kyrgyzstan’s finest prepare to
do battle on October 10th.
Design: Alena Krivyh

Advertising Manager: Irina Kasymova Out & About

(email: advertise@thespektator.co.uk)
Barskoon Noon
Lake Issyk Kul can still provide excitement
10
off season, and its rugged and lawless
southern shore is no country for old men.

Up in the Air 12
Zein Javed takes to the skies in a Soviet
war plane to break his parachutist’s cherry.

The Guide
Blog of the Month
What has caught our eye this month?
20
Restaurants, Bars, Clubs
All the best bars and clubs in town.
22
www.thespektator.co.uk City Map 25
Don’t get lost.
Want to contribute as a freelance
writer? Please contact:
editor@thespektator.co.uk
What’s On
The pick of the entertainment listings.
26
ON THE COVER: Parachuting in the Kyrgyz Republic, like
elections, can be a rewarding or disastrous experience

The Spektator Magazine is available at locations throughout Bishkek, including: (Travel Agencies) Adventure Seller, Ak-Sai Travel, Carlson Wagonlit, Celestial Mountains, Ecotour, Glavtour,Kyrgyz Concept,
Kyrgyz Travel, Muza, NoviNomad (Bars & Restaurants) Cowboy, Hollywood, Metro, New York Pizza, No1, 2x2, Boulevard, Coffeehouse, Doka, Fatboy’s, Four Seasons, Live Bar, Lounge Bar,
Meri, Navigator, Stary Edgar’s Veranda, Adriatico, Cyclone, Dolce Vita, Santa Maria, Golden Bull (Casinos) Europa, Golden Dragon, XO (Hotels) Dostuk, Hyatt, Golden Dragon, Holiday, Alpi-

Spektator
nist (Embassies and Organisations) The UN building, The American base, The German Embassy, The Dutch Consulate, CAMP Ala-too, NCCR, The Bishkek Opera & Ballet Society.
THE

.co.uk
The Spektator is now online at www.thespektator.co.uk
 4 This Month
Some Parties Playing Nationalist Card in Election Campaign
ULAN TEMIROV
BISHKEK, September 14 (Eurasianet.org)
As Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary election campaign
intensifies, some observers worry it can stir up
still-raw emotions connected to this summer’s
violent clashes in the South.
Twenty-nine political parties have registered
to participate in the October 10 elections, which
will determine the composition of the 120-seat
legislature. Many of the parties are little more
than vehicles for individual politicians. [For back-
ground see EursasiaNet’s archives].
With the atmosphere following interethnic
violence in June still heated, some parties are
appealing to nationalist emotions. And just days
into the official campaign season, the rhetoric is
reaching an alarming level, according to Edil Bais-
alov, Otunbayeva’s former chief of staff and the
current leader of the Aikol El Party. “Some politi-
cal leaders lack the social responsibility to refrain
from kindling strife in their speeches,” Baisalov
told EurasiaNet.org.
Nationalist campaign rhetoric is more preva-
lent in the South than in the North, said Kadyr
Malikov, head of the Independent Analytical
Research Center. “Because parties don’t have de-
veloped platforms or programs, there is no ideol-
ogy. Now parties use ultra-patriotic expressions,
which are nationalist and threaten the internal
stability of the country,” Malikov said.
Many election-watchers are worried that the
campaign, or the vote’s aftermath, could turn
ugly, especially if a losing party makes claims
about voting irregularities. [For background see
EurasiaNet’s archives]. Provisional President Rosa
Otunbayeva is among those concerned. Over the
past week she has repeatedly called on individual
candidates and political parties to show restraint,
reinforcing that message with a reminder that
she has the power to cancel the elections, if the
“integrity and unity of the country” is at stake.
“[I am] concerned about the intentions and
behavior of individual parties,” she said on Sep-
tember 7. “I ask you not to allow the issue of in-
terethnic relations to become politizised.”
Later, during a September 13 visit to Osh,
the provisional president issued a more pointed
statement. “I want to emphasize that the most
severe measures will be taken against parties
that allow themselves to raise the interethnic is-
sue, and to divide the people into northerners
and southerners, or along family and clan lines, in
order to score political points,” the Itar-Tass news
agency quoted Otunbayeva as saying.
One party that has faced close scrutiny is
Ata-Jurt, or Fatherland. The party’s ranks are
filled with former officials in Kurmanbek Baki-
yev’s administration, which collapsed in April.
[For background see EurasiaNet’s archive]. The
party has a significant following among ethnic
Kyrgyz in southern regions that are considered
strongholds of support for the former president.
Bakiyev’s former minister of emergency situa-
tions, Kamchybek Tashiev, the former State Tax
Service chief, Akmatbek Keldibekov – both from
the South – and Bakiyev’s former chief of staff,
Myktybek Abdyldayev, are prominent party lead-
ers. Tashiev, in particular, has frequently stated
October 2010 The Spektator
that Kyrgyz are not accorded the respect that a
titular nation deserves.
“In Kyrgyzstan there are people of various
ethnic groups and it will remain so, but the Kyr-
gyz are the basis of this nation,” Tashiev said in
comments published in an August edition of the
Obshchestvenniy Reyting newspaper. “All the
people living in Kyrgyzstan must live in peace
and accord and they have to respect our tradi-
tions, our history.”
In an interview with EurasiaNet.org, Tashiev
rejected accusations his party is nationalistic,
while insisting that Ata-Jurt would promote the
rights of the “titular nation.”
“As a political party we represent the interests
and rights of people from all nations and layers of
the population,” Tashiev said. “The party protects
national interests and the culture and unity of the
titular nation [i.e. Kyrgyz], which can be interpret-
ed mistakenly as an expression of nationalistic
views.”
Tashiev believes integrating minorities into
“Kyrgyz culture” will help prevent future inter-
ethnic conflicts, as long as they acclimate to
Kyrgyz society. “Be it an Uzbek, Russian, Turk or
Dungan who decided to live and make a career
in Kyrgyzstan, he should know the language and
culture of Kyrgyz, and respect the spirit and cul-
ture of the titular nation,” he said. “When smaller
ethnicities conflict with titular nations, and try by
force to get some power or political preferences
Kyrgyzstan in brief
Russia waiting on elections to Obama urges Kyrgyzstan
begin military talks leader to curb violence
MOSCOW, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia
will start negotiations on the status of its military
facilities in Kyrgyzstan only after parliamentary
elections in the Central Asian republic, the Rus-
sian foreign minister said on Thursday.”Let’s wait
until the elections in Kyrgyzstan, until a new,
permanent rather than interim, government is
formed in the country,” Sergei Lavrov told re-
porters.
Kyrgyzstan ready to join
customs union
WASHINGTON DC, September 22 (CentralAsi-
aNewswire) - Kyrgyzstan wants to join the Rus-
sia-Kazakhstan customs union, and both Russia
and Kazakhstan have strong reasons to welcome
it in. Kyrgyz President Rosa Otunbayeva took the
plunge and announced her country’s desire to
join the new customs union, which also includes
Belarus, at a July meeting of the Eurasian Eco-
nomic Community (EurAsEC). After many delays,
the Russian-led customs union began operating
on July 15 and is hoping to fully integrate its
three markets, totalling 170 million people, by
2012.
in the country, it could lead all of us to a new dead
end.”
Some observers believe Ata-Jurt is being
subjected to unfair attention. “Ata-Jurt is trying to
revive the idea of unity among Kyrgyz,” said Bakyt
Ibraimov, an Osh-based journalist. Every political
party has tried to develop a distinctive political
profile for the election campaign, he added. “Ata-
Jurt – especially considering the June interethnic
clash between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks – decided to
focus on the Kyrgyz as a titular nation as [such a
platform appeals to] the majority of the elector-
ate,” Ibraimov said.
Ibraimov went on to assert that the com-
plaints against Ata-Jurt had more to do with the
party leadership’s close connection to the Baki-
yev administration than to irresponsible cam-
paign tactics. “It is nothing more than black PR by
their political opponents,” he said.
Baisalov, the provisional government’s
former chief-of-staff, also saw a political motive
in the criticism of Ata-Jurt. “There is no need to
demonize Ata-Jurt for allegedly having connec-
tions with former president Bakiyev,” he said.
“All current parties […] have leaders who, in the
past, used to work in ministerial positions under
former presidents.”
Editor’s note:
Ulan Temirov is a pseudonym for a journalist based
in Bishkek
NEW YORK, Sept 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President
Barack Obama urged the President of Kyrgyzstan
Rosa Otunbayeva on Friday to take more steps
to prevent a renewal of violence after ethnic
conflict that erupted in June. Obama held talks
with the Kyrgyzstan leader, Roza Otunbayeva,
on the fringes of the U.N. General Assembly in
New York.
Dmitry Medvedev meets the
leader of Ar-Namys party
MOSCOW, September 23 (Ferghana.Ru) - On
September 22, 2010, Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev met Felix Kulov, the leader of Kyrgyz
Ar-Namys (Dignity) party, in his Moscow resi-
dence. According to Kremlin.ru, the parties dis-
cussed the current situation in Kyrgyzstan. The
day before, Felix Kulov arrived in Moscow and
signed an interparty agreement with Russian
pro-President party Edinnaya Rossiya.
As the strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan Russia is
interested in peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan
and hopes that all current processes will be re-
solved within the legal norms, Dmitry Medvedev
specified.
www.thespektator.co.uk

In Bishkek, an art exhibition dedicated to events in the country
ASKAR ERKEBAEV & ZHIBEK NURMANBETOVA
BISHKEK, September 10 (Kloop.kg)
The exhibition, presenting the work of “more than
10 authors” from several countries, began on Sep-
tember 3 at the Art Centre Koldo. The exhibition is
in the style of contemporary art, using photogra-
phy, audio and video mediums.
Curator Gamal Bokonbayev said in an inter-
view with Kloop.kg, that the initiative for this event
belonged to a subsidiary of the Goethe Institute in
Almaty. The focus of the original exhibition was to
be the April 7 coup.
However, “because of the June riots”, the event
was postponed. According to Bokonbaev, follow-
ing the riots there have been delays that have pre-
vented the completion of several creative projects.
“After the events in June, foreign sponsors fled
from here [Kyrgyzstan]. Many projects have failed,
because foreign artists weren‘t allowed here,” com-
plains the exhibition curator.
Despite this, the exhibition has now begun.
Bokonbayev believes that “art should never remain
silent, no matter what happens.”
“After them [the riots in the south] the idea
returned [...] Art is already responding to the
events, the purpose of this exhibition is that very
response,” says Gamal Bokonbayev.
According to him, “the project is limited in
terms of investment and scale,” so the resultant ex-
hibition is “small”. Displays of works will continue
until the end of the month.
Works “with meaning”
The curator said that the exhibition was represent-
ed by “around 20 works, and more than 10 artists”
from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Germany.
One element of the exhibition was sent from New
York by an ex-patriate Kazakh artist.
Among the works were images of “deep con-
tent”; one video from the scene of disorder in
the South, as well as pictures drawn by children
in Bishkek. In addition, the exhibition features a
soundtrack in the form of street noise, conversa-
tions and laughter.
“The soundtracks are characterized by the
passions of recent events,” said an artist present at
the show.
According to the art centre representative Mir-
gul Bolotaliev, “many people did not understand
the idea of the works”, but those who were them-
selves cultured and creative gauged the main ide-
as of the artists. As an example of one of the more
engaging works on display, she cited an exhibit
entitled “Elections 2010“– a ballot box, filled with
ashes, representing the fallout from the disorders.
Also participating in the exhibition was a “best
selling artist” from Germany, Michael Mueller. Ac-
cording to Bolotaliev, he composed his four-day
picture using nothing other than a simple pencil.
“In his work, he wanted to say that life is chang-
ing as a sky [changes], and Kyrgyzstan is sometimes
covered by clouds, which appear over the country
before blue skies arrive,” explained Bolotaliev.
Contemporary Art in Kyrgyzstan
Gamal Bokonbayev also noted the position and
history of contemporary art in Kyrgyzstan. Speak-
ing to a Kloop.kg corretspondent she said: “How
www.thespektator.co.uk
modern art differs from the old – is in the contex-
tual meaning [of the reaction to current events]
and the use of new media [audio, video, photos],”
In his opinion, the state pays no attention to
contemporary art, and as a result no infrastructure
is in place to support its development.
“In the USSR art was ignored, and our cultural
institutions such as the Ministry of Culture are not
recognized , nor [is art] taught in universities,” says
the curator of the exhibition.
However, Bokonbayev believes that “in com-
parison with neighbouring countries”, Kyrgyzstan
Hunting for Homeless Kyrgyz in Osh
NATASHA YEFIMOV
OSH, September 19 (Eurasianet.org)
A Kyrgyz woman compares the photo of a corpse
with that of a missing loved one displayed out-
side the Osh mayor’s office. Portraits of missing
Uzbeks are hidden away in an office in an Uzbek
neighborhood.
The summer camp looked deserted. Just
inside the high metal fence, a plump woman in
slippers and a purple kerchief squatted outside
a two-room shack, washing dishes with a plastic
tub and two dented kettles.
“Maybe she’s one of them,” I thought -- an
ethnic Kyrgyz who’d lost her home in the barbaric
interethnic violence that swept across southern
Kyrgyzstan in June.
The camp lies at the end of a dirt road a
few miles outside the city of Osh, where, three
months after the clashes, Kyrgyz and Uzbeks still
circulate photos of the dead and missing and
each side tells the same stories, split into “us”
and “them”: “their guys raped our girls”; “we are
a peace-loving people”; “they’re the ones who
started it”; “all the aid goes to them and we get
nothing.”
On this last point, the two groups differ in
one respect: Uzbeks complain that humanitarian
aid controlled by local officials (predominantly
ethnic Kyrgyz) does not go to them, while Kyrgyz
-- many of whom feel unfairly demonized by the
outside world -- say the same of aid from interna-
tional organizations. In Osh, the most visible type
of aid from abroad is construction material: new
bricks and gravel piling up on curbsides to build
new homes before winter. Most beneficiaries
are indeed Uzbeks, since their houses and shops
make up the overwhelming majority of those hit
by arson.
But the painful battle of narratives is still rag-
ing, so when a prominent Kyrgyz activist and can-
didate for the national parliament told me that
many ethnic Kyrgyz had also been displaced and
were settled at the summer camp, my colleague
and I felt compelled to check.
“No,” said the woman washing dishes, with
a gold-capped smile, “there’s no one living here
but me.” She was Kyrgyz, but not homeless, just
a local villager looking after the camp in the off
season. She said there hadn’t been any IDPs at
the camp that she knew of. “You should go to
the sanatorium, by the checkpoint. There’s lots of
This Month 5
is “on a good level, owing to the help of Western
funds and private initiatives”.
“Every year we have held three or four small
exhibitions of contemporary art,” explained the
artist.
As one example of the development of con-
temporary art in Kyrgyzstan, Bokonbayev men-
tioned Kyrgyzstan’s participation in the Venice
Biennale.
For English language articles about Kyrgyz pol-
itics and society visit www.kloop.info
people living there.”
“Are they Kyrgyz who lost their houses? How
long have they been there?”
“Yes, yes… Since June.”
So off we went.
The sanatorium -– really, a children’s tuber-
culosis hospital -– stands on the edge of town.
Where the road past it slopes uphill, leading to
two suburbs populated by ethnic Uzbeks, it is
blocked off with concrete barriers manned by
Kalashnikov-wielding Kyrgyz men in camouflage.
They walked over as our car pulled up to the
tank parked outside the sanatorium gate.
The next five minutes wouldn’t surprise any-
one who’s dealt with ominous security forces in
the former Soviet Union. The men, who claimed
to be local police, wore no insignia or identifying
marks on their fatigues (easily buyable, by the way,
at local markets), though by law -- if they were in
fact police -- they must. They grabbed our press
cards, deleted our tank photo and demanded to
know why no officials were accompanying us. The
most senior-looking of the three started making
calls from his cell phone; I, in turn, scrolled through
the numbers in mine, dropping names I thought
might afford us some protection.
The police force is made up mostly of ethnic
Kyrgyz. Salaries are low, corruption rife and laws
are viewed as suggestions at best. Well-docu-
mented studies by the International Crisis Group
and Human Rights Watch have presented strong
evidence that local security forces in the south
did little to stop June’s violence and, in some in-
stances, facilitated attacks against ethnic Uzbeks.
Outside the sanatorium, our explanation
that we were following up on reports of ethnic
Kyrgyz IDPs -- an example, one might think, of
the fair reporting many Kyrgyz have felt is miss-
ing -- did not persuade the men to let us in. They
insisted that the building stood within their secu-
rity perimeter and they had to guard it; moreover,
they said there were no displaced people on the
territory of the hospital, just sick children.
I called back the activist to let her know what
we’d found.
“Ah, that means they’ve been taken to other
places already,” she said of the displaced. “But, be-
fore, they were definitely there. I didn’t see them
myself, but they were definitely there. I know. I
heard about it.”
October 2010 The Spektator
 6 This Month
Novostroiki residents must vote at their place of registration
ULUGBEK AKISHEV
BISHKEK, September 14 (Kloop.kg)
As parliamentary elections near, the issue of vot-
ing for internal migrants has come to the fore.
According to the electoral code, they must vote
at their place of registration, rather than their cur-
rent abode. Therefore, residents of large housing
estates or novostroiki have decided to arrange a
meeting with the authorities demanding the abo-
lition of the law.
In the referendum held on June 27 this year, a
provisional government decree authorized all citi-
zens of the Kyrgyz Republic to vote at their de fac-
to place of residence. However, in the upcoming
elections there is no such authorization in place for
them to do so.
Meanwhile, the problem has become more
relevant as the level of internal migration has in-
creased due to June’s bloody ethnic conflict in the
South. But, according to Dinara Oshurahunova, di-
rector of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Soci-
ety, the election code does not allow for such peo-
ple to vote outside their registered constituency.
“We as a coalition in 2005 called for the aboli-
tion of registration, because it affects not only the
election but many of the social rights of people
who are not registered at their place of actual resi-
dence,” said Oshurahunova.
The head of the coalition drew attention to the
fact that this question emerges in every election
that takes place in Kyrgyzstan.
“However, the election is only 3 weeks away
and now it is not possible to make any changes to
the electoral code. Even if we were to try and deal
with this issue, there is no legislative body [to pass
the legislation],” declares Dinara Oshurahunova.
Oshurahunova noted that the elections “will
be intensely competitive and every vote will be
counted,” but that if any changes to the code were
to be made, it “could simply escalate into conflict”.
However, conflict appears to be brewing
anyway. The residents of a housing estate New
Uchkun, led by Tynchtyk Mederbekov, said at a
news conference earlier in the week that they will
arrange a meeting with authorities demanding a
resolution to this problem.
“At the referendum we were able to vote at
the place of our actual residence, but now the law
requires us to go to our homes [places of registra-
tion] and vote there, which is very expensive,” said
Tynchtyk Mederbekov.
Oshurahunova sees no opportunities to influ-
ence the situation. According to her, in contrast to
the parliamentary elections, the referendum was
held on the basis of a Code of Referendum [COR].
“Now, of course, amendments cannot be
made because this will lead to falsification, and
if we remove these barriers, then it will affect the
outcome of the elections themselves,” said the
head of the Coalition for Democracy and Society.
But Mederbekov insists that people who work
and live in Bishkek’s novostroiki should vote on a
par with those on the voter lists.
“Bishkek has about 42 new housing sites and
about 150,000 internal migrants who have no right
to vote,” says Tynchtyk Mederbekov.
Simple peaceful rally
According to human rights activist Oshurahunova,
October 2010 The Spektator
the issue of electoral rights needs to be addressedsaid that “the difference between a trip to vote in
not through rallies, but rather in the form of rec-the election, and a trip [to obtain] absentee ballots
ommendations from the parties, which “should be - is nothing, because you [have to] spend all your
raised in terms of the issue of residence at the first
money [in any case]”.
meetings of the new parliament”. Mamaraimov detailed a second possible solu-
However, residents of the novostroiki are de- tion to the problem. Nine days before the election,
manding an address with the president and want voters have the opportunity of voting early. “But
to reach a solution to the problem in the next two other [options] are impossible, in any case, voters
weeks before parliamentary elections take place. need to go and vote at their residence, or receive
“The question of the problem of internal mi- an absentee ballot,” said the CEC representative.
gration has [traditionally] been raised only by The elections seem to have aroused genuine
non-governmental organizations, and we were interest among voters. According to the consulting
surprised by the actions of the residents of the agency M-Vector “now about 85% of the inhabit-
novostroiki. It seems to me that it has not been ants of the republic are going to demonstrate their
without nudges from the political parties,” said the
opinion and take part in the vote, out of which
head of the coalition. 53.5% of the participants expressed their firm in-
Elmira Mukambetova, one of the residents of tention to go to the polls”, their report states. The
New Uchkun, argues that “it would be a simple other 15% were split equally, with one half saying
and peaceful rally, which we would arrange with that they “probably will not vote”, and the remain-
our own money, raise money along the road and ing 7.5% undecided.
design posters”. According to the electoral code a party can
only enter parliament if it meets the threshold of
Absentee certificates
5% of the total vote throughout the country and a
Member of the Central Election Commission minimum of 0.5% in each region, as well as in the
(CEC) Abdumomun Mamaraimov said that “vot- municipalities of Bishkek and Osh.
ers may also obtain an absentee certificate up to
15 days before the election from their local elec- This material was prepared within the framework
tion commission. of the Deutsche Welle Academy training on election
The permit allows absentee voters to vote on a coverage
site next to their de facto place of residence, rather Editor’s Note: The word novostroiki refers to
than their place of registration. But in order to ob- large plots of low density housing, usually on the
tain a certificate, it is important to have documents outskirts of large metropolises. Novostroiki near
proving that you cannot vote at your place of reg- Bishkek often lack basic infrastructure such as elec-
istration for a certain reason. tricity and running water. The plots are typically
“We have never heard of these absentee bal- occupied by migrants from the country’s regions
lots, we only hear that we have to vote at our plac- and accommodation therein often lacks formal
es of residence,” says Mukambetova. Mederbekov legal status.
Dirtying Kyrgyzstan’s New Political Field
BRUCE PANNIER
BISHKEK, September 23 (RFE/RL) - Kyrgyzstan posted) the video, but the intent to smear Teke-
holds parliamentary elections on October 10 baev’s reputation is clear enough.
It’s a mark on an election that so far has been
amid great expectations - for the first time, really,
remarkable for its lack of scandals and accusa-
in post-Soviet Central Asia, there is a fresh and
tions. With no political elite ruling the country,
clean political field competing.
the prospects for one of the freer and fairer polls
But the reemergence this month of a sex
ever seen in Central Asia are good, and seen as a
tape featuring the leading contender in the cur-
positive break from the past.
rent race shows that dirty-tricks politics is alive
Interestingly, this smear attempt comes at
and well in Kyrgyzstan.
a time when seemingly no one is in a strong
The target is Omurbek Tekebaev, the leader
enough position to influence the results. The
of the Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party, which polls
video appears to have had no impact on the
say is likely to win the most votes among the 29
campaign, and has not gained traction as a topic
parties contesting the election. If those predic-
in the media or on the street.
tions are accurate, it would put Tekebaev on the
As for Tekebaev, it is not the first time some-
inside track to be Kyrgyzstan’s next prime minis-
one has tried to blacken his reputation. In 2006,
ter, which owing to new constitutional changes customs officials at Warsaw airport detained
will be the most powerful position in the country. Tekebaev after finding 695 grams of heroin in a
A video of Tekebaev cavorting with a wom- matryoshka doll. It turned out that Janysh Bak-
an, naked, in a hotel room has mysteriously re- iev, a brother of former President Kurmanbek
surfaced nearly two years after it was first posted Bakiev, had plotted to plant the heroin on Teke-
on the web. It shows Tekebaev using a belt to baev and then inform Polish law enforcement to
induce erotic asphyxiation on his partner and is be on the watch for the then-opposition leader.
interspersed with faux campaign slogans such as When the sex video first appeared last year,
“We won’t let anyone bring us to our knees” and Tekebaev declined to comment on it and the
“I’ll give you democracy.” Kyrgyz political world seemed not to want to
Obviously no one knows who posted (or re- know any more about it.
www.thespektator.co.uk
 8 This Month
Kyrgyzstan’s Uzbeks Sitting Out Parliamentary Campaign
BISHKEK, September 27 ((Eurasianet.org)
Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming parliamentary vote on
October 10 is creating a quandary for the Central
Asian nation’s Uzbek minority. Some Uzbek poli-
ticians see the elections as an opportunity to try
to enhance minority rights. But the majority of
Uzbeks, mindful of the harm that their commu-
nity suffered during the June violence in southern
Kyrgyzstan, appears hesitant to get involved in the
political process.
The experience of the past four months has
left many Uzbeks profoundly skeptical about their
ability to produce change via the ballot box, Uzbek
community observers say. “After the violent events,
Uzbeks are afraid to come out to the streets,” said
an Osh-based human rights activist who spoke on
condition of anonymity. “Many Uzbeks were jailed,
others are continuously harassed. How can they
vote under such circumstances?”
The activist added that harassment by Kyrgyz
security services and fears of persecution prompt-
ed an estimated 30,000 Uzbeks to flee the country
in recent months.
Some Uzbeks believe participation in politics
stands a better chance of aggravating what they
say is the existing atmosphere of discrimination,
rather than easing it. “We should leave politics to
the Kyrgyz; it’s their business. This will be a safe
choice for us,” said Husanbay, an Osh carpenter
who asked his last name not be printed.
Overall, 29 political parties are vying for the
120 parliamentary seats. Given the provisional
leadership’s intention to re-fashion Kyrgyzstan as
a parliamentary republic, the composition of the
new legislature could have a profound impact on
the country’s democratization process.
Not all Uzbeks are staying away from poli-
tics. Two prominent Uzbek political leaders - An-
var Artykov and Murat Juraev, representing the
Ar-Namys and Ak-Shumkar parties, respectively
– hope to gain seats in parliament. Meanwhile,
other Uzbek public figures have campaigned with
Kyrgyz politicians during appearances in Uzbek
neighborhoods.
A few Uzbeks also say there are practical ben-
efits to joining political parties. For example, an in-
structor at an Osh university who recently joined the
Ata-Meken Party, contended that party member-
ship can offer protection from police harassment.
The police are almost uniformly ethnic Kyrgyz.
Prior to May 14, Uzbeks traditionally shied
away from aligning with Kyrgyz political factions
in promoting their long-standing demands, in-
cluding the designation of Uzbek as an official
language and greater political representation.
When supporters of ousted president Kurmanbek
Bakiyev briefly seized government offices on May
13-14 in the southern cities of Batken, Osh and
Jalal-Abad, ethnic Uzbeks from Jalal-Abad led by
Kadyrjan Batyrov, a local Uzbek community leader
and prominent entrepreneur, helped the provi-
sional government reestablish its authority. Many
Kyrgyz subsequently blamed Batyrov for involve-
ment in an arson attack on Bakiyev’s family com-
pound in the nearby village of Teyit on May 14.
Many Uzbeks believe that episode was a contrib-
uting factor to the outbreak of the June violence.
Apart from fear, many Uzbeks doubt that the
election outcome can advance their causes. Many
October 2010 The Spektator
are chagrined to see that many political parties
are ignoring issues that Uzbeks care most about,
including the deployment of an OSCE-led mission
to advise police in Osh, and an end to the widely
documented harassment and discrimination that
has followed the June violence.
Following the June unrest, most political
parties appear to be tailoring their messages to
appeal to rising nationalist sentiments among
Kyrgyz, observers add. Even parties linked to the
provisional government are not distributing mate-
rial in any language but Kyrgyz at rallies in Osh. Fli-
ers are not even printed in Russian, which is one of
Kyrgyzstan’s “official” languages.
Kyrgyzstan’s electoral code requires political
parties to have at least 15 percent of its member-
ship come from ethnic minority groups. Koreans
and Russians can help fill that quota. But Kyrgyz
political parties have also been trying to reach out
to Uzbeks, the single largest minority group in the
country. “Representatives of various political par-
ties are going from door to door in [Uzbek] neigh-
borhoods, cajoling Uzbeks to join their parties,”
one Osh resident said.
The ‘Black Kyrgyz’ enters the political ring
BISHKEK, September 29 ((Eurasianet.org) -
Omurbek Babanov, leader of Kyrgyzstan’s nas-
cent Respublika Party, has a habit of forging op-
portune relationships. As a young businessman
during Askar Akayev’s presidency, he reportedly
became one of the richest men in Kyrgyzstan. By
subsuming kickboxing champion Alene Ofoyo –
‘the Black Kyrgyz’ – into his campaign trail for Oc-
tober’s parliamentary elections, it appears he has
made yet another prudent choice.
Created in June, and combating a perceived
deficit of electoral experience, Respublika op-
eratives have set about swallowing up Bishkek’s
billboard space in a well-funded campaign that
has attracted both jealousy and criticism from
opponents.
Unlike other parties, whose campaigns are
typified by the overwhelming predominance of
ethnic Kyrgyz, Republic’s billboards have pro-
vided at least a token acknowledgement of the
country’s broad ethnic spread. Even providing for
Kyrgyzstan’s highly cosmopolitan base, however,
the image of kickboxer Alene Ofoyo on a bill-
board at one of the capital’s main intersections is
a jarring sight for passers by.
Of Congolese-Russian descent, and yet
born in a Bishkek suburb, Ofoyo is a hero in Kyr-
gyzstan’s kickboxing community. In 2008, fight-
ing under ring name ‘the Black Kyrgyz’ he defeat-
ed Belarusian fighter Zamin Guseinov to become
WBKF champion of Europe, a title he still retains.
Despite a distinctively non-Kyrgyz appear-
ance, Ofoyo represents something of a national
treasure in sporting terms. He is that all-conquer-
ing competitor who wears his unique identity on
his shorts, flying to Moscow, one of the centers
of the kickboxing world, and regularly returning
home victorious.
“Alene Ofoyo is our champion,” says former
Minister of Labor and Social Protection Roza
Aknazarova, the 12th candidate on Respublika’s
ticket. “He is someone our youth can admire. He is
Campaign activists, meanwhile, are openly
frustrated with Uzbeks’ lack of interest in the elec-
toral process. A representative of Butun Kyrgyzstan
(“United Kyrgyzstan”), a southern-based party, said
he was fed up trying to seek Uzbek votes. “We are
going around Uzbek neighborhoods trying to find
people who can join our party. But Uzbeks are not
eager to join. It sometimes feels like it is a waste of
time,” he told EurasiaNet.org.
An Osh representative of another party, Za-
mandash (“Contemporary”), complained to Eura-
siaNet.org that “Uzbeks have become apolitical.”
Many Uzbeks are aware that their reluctance
to participate in politics could have long-term con-
sequences. Lacking representation, for example,
could put Uzbeks at risk of losing cultural rights,
such as access Uzbek-language education, one Uz-
bek journalist told EurasiaNet.org. But most seem
to believe that non-participation is currently their
best available option. “Uzbeks lost the war; the Kyr-
gyz won. It was an unfair war. But we must accept
what we have,” said Ibragim, an Osh entrepreneur
who witnessed atrocities in June.
in good moral and physical health; a born winner
but also humble in character.” Demonstrating Re-
spublika’s wide base, Aknazarova appears beside
Ofoyo in the billboard commercial.
Youth is seemingly one of Respublika’s main
ideals. Of their top ten candidates, 40-year old Ba-
banov is the second most senior. The youngest of
the ten is only 25.
Yet despite a political campaign as visible
as traditional political powerhouses such as Ata-
Meken and the Social Democratic Party of Kyr-
gyzstan, few experts expect Respublika to come
out on top of the pile, instead tipping them as
a party for the future, shorn up by the financial
might of Talas-born Babanov, who experienced
the upper echelons of power as deputy first
prime minister during the final year of former
president Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s reign.
Moreover, even if Respublika were to surprise
everyone by sweeping to victory in October’s
poll, Ofoyo would still be able to rest assured
that life in politics won’t complicate his day-to-
day regimen of training to fight other kick box-
ers across the countries of the CIS. Guidelines set
out by the CEC stipulated that every party must
submit lists of 120 candidates, yet due to limits
on the number seats any one party can acquire in
the new parliament, those ranked outside of 60th
place can be confident they will not get a seat.
Ofoyo is ranked 110th and thus his involvement
is largely symbolic.
Yet that doesn’t mean that there isn’t politi-
cal capital to be made via association. At a gym
not far from the billboard commercial, 19-year-
old Akzholtoy Ibraev aims roundhouse kicks at a
body-length bag suspended by a metal chain. He
says he isn’t interested in politics, but would vote
for any party Ofoyo supports. “If Alene put his
name to it, it means it [the party] must be honest,”
he says. “He [Ofoyo] is a gentleman who fights
with the Kyrgyz spirit.”
www.thespektator.co.uk
 10 Out & About
Barskoon
Noon
O
CHRIS RICKLETON
For those who have already had their fill of N A DRY AUTUMN day the Barskoon
Issyk Kul’s primmest beaches and pensiona- region of Issyk Kul oblast reveals it-
ti, a visit to Barskoon and Tamga on the lake’s self as pure Clint Eastwood territory.
Once off the smooth, meandering
rugged southern shore offers something a track that clings to the lake itself, you
little less predictable. Sensing adventure, have it all; lone stallions grazing rocky outcrops,
the Spektator packed its towel, trunks and a bull skulls staring bleakly out from scrub foothills
make-believe Smith & Western. and provincial saloons thinly peopled by strange-
faced cattle herders, blown in from a dusty ranch.
Along the rattling route to mining enterprise
Kumtor, this Stetson fantasy can be briefly contin-
ued. This, you tell yourself, is the path to riches,
paved by pioneers and rustlers, the precious met-
al object at its end obsessing the early American
West before oilmen changed the game forever,
and black became the new gold.
What shakes you out of such a daydream is a
fresh threat to your personal security - the sound
of bloodcurdling shrieks coming from the moun-
tains nearby. As your vehicle rolls closer to the
mighty Barskoon waterfall, the so-called ‘Bowl of
Manas’, you realize with vague disappointment
and and a hint of relief, that this is not a pack of
Native Americans descending on you in a fury of
feathers and tomahawks, but groups of boister-
ous Kyrgyz teenagers loaded on Nashe Pivo beer,
who wish, in their own clumsy manner, to make
your acquaintance.
The romance of bygone cowboy flicks sharp-
ly forgotten, you find yourself surrounded by a
new, unique kind of lawlessness. At the bottom
of the incline leading up to the waterfall a large
Above Barskoon and Tamga’s cemetries family are celebrating around a camp fire. The
would not look out of place in a John Wayne older generation is as drunk as its offspring in
movie set (all photos Chris Rickleton) the mountains, but a new crop of children - for
whom there may yet be hope - are innocently
Right While this abstract monument to Yuri taking part in sack races, tug-of-wars and skip-
Gagarin in Barskoon is thoroughly destroyed, ping contests. Back by the road’s edge, yet more
many of the region’s other homages to the So- youths are crawling over a despoiled statue of
viet cosmonaut remain in tact Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, while just behind
them, inexplicably lifted onto an unmarked mar-
October 2010 The Spektator
ble plinth, is a quarrying lorry stripped of its front
wheel. Here the weird makes embrace with the
wonderful, that same, heart-warming paradox for
which you might just have come to Kyrgyzstan in
the first place.
The hike up to view Manas in full flow can be
done in two ways. A gentle, verdant route deco-
rated with iris flowers in their apogee leads to a
viewing platform just above the waterfall, while
a steeper, more strenuous trek takes you up
through a forest, to within toe-dangling distance
of Barskoon’s premier natural attraction. Both
walks take around half an hour to complete, with
the option of going beyond the bowl, up to the
falls’ icier source.
Back at the base, driver Boris was concerned.
The Nashe Pivo gang had moved onto vodka, and
had sabotaged their siblings’ sack race. Our car
could be next, he suggested. Rolling back along
the road out of Kumtor, Boris told us a few things
about Kyrgyzstan’s foremost mineral extraction
operation - a joint stock venture which is partly
Canadian-owned. “They are the region’s biggest
employer,” he said. “Over 3,000 locals work in that
operation - mostly full-time, too. You’ve probably
heard there are some environmental problems
there. Yes, its safer to swim in Tamga than in Bar-
skoon.”
Aside from Kumtor and tourism, Issyk-Kul re-
gion offers few working opportunities for its resi-
dents. Much of the land immediately around the
lake is uncultivated, and the fishing isn’t as good
as it used to be. “Up at Song-Kul [Naryn oblast],
you can pull out all sorts of strange and exciting
fish,” Boris, a keen angler, continued. “But here, its
over-fished. They don’t breed like they once did
- and what’s left is only good for kippering.” He
scratched his head at this conundrum as we glid-
ed alongside the lake’s sparkling sapphire eye,
through the featureless town of Barskoon and
onto Luba Dainichkina’s guesthouse in Tamga.
www.thespektator.co.uk

Few homestays in the region are likely to rival
Luba’s for charm, homeliness and quality of cui-
sine. This final factor assumes major importance
to the traveller making his way around the Issyk-
Kul region of Kyrgyzstan, since many will tell you
that the oblast’s one and only shortcoming is its
cooking. Here, however, we arrived to tasty pizza
served with seasoned vegetables and left on a
full stomach of deliciously tender beef stroganoff.
A beautifully kept garden full of interesting statu-
ettes and blooming roses hosts a table-tennis ta-
ble for the semi-active, whilst those seeking full
blown relaxation can enjoy a nap on the veranda,
imitating Luba’s three friendly, sleepy canine
companions who are invariably found dozing in
the picturesque courtyard of their hozyaika. Folks
who haven’t had their thirst for local handicrafts
quenched in other parts of the country may
well wish to take advantage of the Dainichkins’
on-site shop, where an interesting range of felts,
ceramics and Soviet memorabilia can be found
at-cheaper-than-Bishkek rates.
According to Luba, Tamga means ‘rock draw-
ing’ in an ancient language that long departed
from Issyk Kul’s environs, although those with a
spattering of the native tongue may mistake the
village as being inhospitable, since its name coin-
cides with the Kyrgyz command ‘go home’.
To help us in our quest for Tamga’s sacred
stones we hired Sasha, a thirteen year-old Rus-
sian boy whose services cost under 200 soms.
Ambling across the landscape with a makeshift
staff, he cut a reluctant Gandolf, bored of Tamga
and dreaming of Moscow, where he had relatives.
When I asked him what percentage of Tamga’s
population was ethnic Russian, he said: “About
three”. Yet a guidebook of mine produced in 2003
had recorded it as being closer to fifteen. Amidst
this apparent exodus, his family had stayed on,
and I wondered why. His father, he told us, was
a geologist, who worked with both Kumtor and
www.thespektator.co.uk
Out & About 11
an international organization based in Bishkek. our featured article by the Trekking Union of Kyr-
Many of his friends had left and his grasp of the gyzstan]. Past us a man and son tandem sidled by
state language was rudimentary. I imagined him on a horse, saluting us stoically before trotting off
a little lonely. But his solace was in swimming, into the dusky horizon. It was time to make tracks.
which he did for two hours every day in the sum- On our way back to the village, Kyrgyz cemeteries
mer, with briefer forays in the spring and autumn. with their distinctive graves baulked out from the
With Sasha storming ahead we wandered brows of barren hills. The landscape had regained
the wilderness in awe, tramping across fields of its ‘shootout at sundown’ feel, and no amount of
spuds, over stiles and out into rusty meadows full under-age alcoholism could have taken it away.
of giant rocks and patches of a crop called poline, A Tamga sunset can be spectacular, and is
which smelled like lavender but wasn’t. Every- best viewed from any crest that overlooks the
where there were ladybirds - four or five times lake itself. We followed its incandescent bob as
the size of their European counterparts - and we descended to the nearest beach to enjoy a
transient lilac butterflies that fluttered across ourspot of wild swimming, finding the water much
path, then vanished into ether. warmer here than by Cholpon-Ata and elsewhere
along the northern shore. As we dried off, an old
“Ambling across the landscape man, naked in a straw hat and full of vodka and
with a makeshift staff, he cut a re- bonhomie, greeted us. He said he was planning
to take his decrepit fishing boat and row it out
luctant Gandolf, bored of Tamga to the lake’s opposite side - where people were
apparently more civilized. We wished him luck
and dreaming of Moscow” and headed back to Luba’s place for a sumptu-
ous homemade broth, sad at our last night in this
“Its just potatoes that grow here,” Sasha said, totally unfamiliar pocket of Kyrgyzstan.
grinning. The omnipresence of this very Russian
Tamga Guesthouse
crop seemed to comfort him. But there were also
orchards; apricot and apple trees bowed under
the weight of ripening fruit. Against one of them
a ladder had been propped up, then discarded. 700 soms usually covers bed and break-
Under another, a man lay sleeping, his day’s work fast for one person here,
half done. The guesthouse is situated on 3, Ozor-
The stone itself was impressive, a large square naya st., Tamga village. Tel. (+996) 394
slab bearing a weathered Sanskrit script that may 625 333. Luba speaks English and can an-
have known the earliest years of the Great Silk swer further questions via tamgahouse@
Road itself. gmail.com.
“It marked a border once,” Sasha claimed con- A place in the guesthouse can also be
fidently. I knew the Tibetan empire had, at the booked at ‘Kyrgyzland’ on 237, Elebesov
peak of its powers, conquered the mighty Pamir st., Bishkek. Marshrutka buses leaving
range, but had it slipped over the Tien Shan and from Bishkek’s vostochni vokzal marked
nestled in the Barskoon Valley too? He wasn’t so ‘южный берег’ pass through the village
sure. [For more on Tamga’s Buddhist stones see itself.
October 2010 The Spektator
 12 Out & About
For anyone that wishes to acquaint them-
selves with the laws of gravity, but can’t be
bothered waiting for an apple to fall on their
head, parachuting offers a perfect solution.
Moreover, in health & safety-challenged
Kyrgyzstan, there is a near total lack of po-
tentially life-saving bureaucracy to spoil the
adrenaline rush.
Above Top Gun: our hero prepares to take of role model for my friend and I, an adrenaline
to the skies and freefall out of a plane called junkie who spoke of Kyrgyzstan as a ‘land of op-
‘Anton 2’ (all photos Zein Javed)
Right Should you ever board a plane whose
pilot tells you “it can fly without an engine”? our lives. We started off at Barcode - a high speed
October 2010 The Spektator
Up
in the
Air
P
ZEIN JAVED
ARACHUTING IS FUN. It’s a manly
thing, but women are allowed to do it
as well - to be honest, in Kyrgyzstan,
even if you‘ve got a dodgy ticker, a res-
piratory illness, a broken leg or extreme
vertigo, the legendary hospitality of the Kyrgyz
will nevertheless see you and all your deficien-
cies pushed out of a World War II plane for a mod-
est 50 $ fee. This rather informal introduction to
the hobby takes place most Saturday mornings
at the Kyrgyz military airbase near Kudaebergen
market.
A friend of mine put me in touch with the man
who ‘organizes’ jumps in Bishkek. Unlike many
other people in positions of life or death author-
ity here, he was polite, friendly and welcoming, if
a little entrepreneurial. His pricing scheme fluc-
tuated from 40$(1500soms) to 100$(4400soms),
depending on the height from which we would
jump. We were told to be at the air base no later
than 8 am the following day.
“Americans are nuts”
That’s the most common statement you hear
when you talk to local folks about Yankee ex-
pats. Sometimes, the stereotype vindicates itself.
Vicariously, I knew of one American who had
hurled himself from a Soviet plane with his own
parachute, not far from Prednastrovie, paying no
more than $5 for the privilege. He acted as a kind
portunity’; a lesser-known haven for the extreme
sports fanatic.
Friday night we partied like it was the last of
Wi-Fi hotspot where we were fed and watered
at a reasonable price. After dinner, we headed
to Promzona to kick back and listen to ‘Susha‘,
a pretty chanteuse popular in Bishkek’s under-
ground music scene. Leaving this post-industrial
hangout at 1am, we arrived at GVOZD (nail),
a club attached to the Philharmonia spinning
funky grooves and providing a sense of calm be-
fore the storm. Yet time that night was like a snail
that wouldn’t pass. Back home in Saturday‘s early
hours, I found I couldn’t sleep.
Finally, dawn broke on our day of destiny.
Frantically, I searched for my passport, thinking
that I wouldn’t be allowed to jump without it (as
it happened, they never asked). At 8 ‘o’ clock sharp
we were at the gate of the airbase, where we were
greeted by the officer in charge, and waited lem-
ming-like for our transport to the site. Roughly 15
people were set for the jump - 7 paying custom-
ers subsidizing the other 8 jumpers, all relatives of
the organizers. At around half past nine we were
told that we didn’t have enough funds for the
jump and would have to wait until next Saturday.
Like a trader’s trick at the bazaar, this was actually
a last- minute call to haggle. We upped our bid for
a battle with gravity, and guess what?: the jump
went ahead.
At least the parachute is “American”
At the base, we signed a contract around 10
pages long to certify that if something happened
we wouldn’t sue them or demand compensation.
Although cardiac and pulmonary diseases were
briefly referenced there was no medical test or re-
quest for certificates. Then, the instructor started
to brief us about the parachute. It was an Ameri-
www.thespektator.co.uk

can parachute, ‘Set-10‘, which, according to him,
was the safest in the world. It was a pleasure to
hear a former Soviet soldier praising the Ameri-
cans so highly. Next, he demonstrated how we
would have to jump and control our parachute.
Finally, he told us what we should do if our prima-
ry parachute failed to open. At this point I called
my mom and told her that I was about to eject
myself out of an aircraft known simply as ‘Anton
2’. Knowing my own natural cowardice, she was
immediately aware I had fallen under the influ-
ence of an “American”. I avoided the subsequent
lecture by turning my phone off. If all parachutes
failed to open, they would at least know where to
find my body.
“Is this the plane we are going to jump from?”
I asked the instructor.
“Da,” he replied with a smile on his face. I was
confronted by the same sort of craft that you see
riddled with bullets in World War Two documen-
taries. Many of them, I learned, had been bombed
before having a chance to take off, when Hitler
began his invasion of the Soviet Union.
“Ne perezhivai, on litaet dazhe bez motora”
(“Don’t worry, this one can fly even without an
engine,” ) the pilot contributed; a fanciful claim
that did little to put me at ease.
He gave us numbers and we were to jump from
the plane in that order. I was second, and my friend
was third. Inside, there were no seats and just two
long benches on each side, where up to 10 people
could sit. One of the instructors stood watchfully
by the door like a bus conductor. When the engine
started, it felt as though an earthquake had hit, and
I was reminded of the pilot‘s hopeful comment. But
takeoff was smoother than expected.
www.thespektator.co.uk
There was no announcement as they had
no PA system on board, but there were red and
green lights above the door. The red light signi-
fied that we were ready to fly, whilst the green
light did not work, so the red blinked a second
time when we were at an appropriate height to
jump. As the instructor opened the door, I felt an
intense heat all over my body. The first jumper, a
professional, leapt at his barked command.
“Davai ti sledushi” (“Go on, you’re next!” )
I stood in the doorway looking down, and saw
nothing as he pushed me out of the aircraft.
Suddenly I was flying, or rather falling. For a
moment I thought only of the end - the game’s
over. The rush of air at this speed is so noisy you
can’t hear yourself yell, but you will. Then the
parachute blooms. I felt stationary in the air now;
the plane fading away as barely visible stick fig-
ures made their own descents. This is something I
will never forget. I found the cords and started to
steer the parachute. I took photos - of my friend,
of fields that slowly expanded in size as we drift-
ed down towards the ground.
Happy Landings
One other thing the former Soviet officer had in-
formed us of was the need to position ourselves
against the wind direction, so as to execute a safe
landing. I never found out the direction of the
wind - the lick your finger method stops working
at a certain degree of resistance - but seemed to
enjoy the best landing anyhow. Other guys were
pulled by their parachutes for some distance.
When you are about a hundred meters from the
Out & About 13
ground you see the surface rushing towards you
like the ‘zoom‘ effect on a handy cam, then your
canopy flails around you as you finally touch terra
firma.
After the landing, I put my parachute into
the bag and helped a girl who had landed about
100 meters away from me do the same. My friend
helped another girl close to him. The local team
seemed sluggish to help the female jumpers.
Losing my parachutist’s virginity was some-
thing I will remember forever. We did it without
a trainer attached to our backs, pulling the cord
for us. We did it without a static line. Personally,
I’m glad I did it in a country like Kyrgyzstan, rather
than some other country, where health and safe-
ty regulations might have got in the way of the
whole hedonistic thrill of it. For fifty bucks I came
to truly understand the concept of gravity, and
lived to tell the tale.
Just Do It!
For those who want, like Zein, to lose their
parachutist’s cherry in a former Soviet state
with less-than-Soviet legal/health infrastruc-
ture, just call Mikhail (0555) 304559. Then
head down to Frunze Voennaya Avia Baza on
Saturday morning to pull the cord.
Note: the views expressed herein are solely
those of the author. The Spektator accepts no
liability for damaged limbs and/or death.
October 2010 The Spektator
 14 Focus
Whispers of History
Although sunbathing season is drawing to a
close, the Issyk Kul region of Kyrgyzstan has
a historical interest that keeps archaeologi-
cal teams busy long after the dawn of au-
tumn. Last month, the Trekking Union of
Kyrgyzstan hiked, drove and dug their way
around the lake’s perimeter, uncovering an-
tiquity at every turn….
Above Skull and bones - possibly belonging
to the ancient Saks of Issyk Kul (all photos
Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan)
Above Right Tamga’s Buddhist stones offer a
good opportunity for a spot of mock medita-
tion
Bottom Right For historians, archaeologists
and ceramic enthusiasts, untended sections
of Issyk Kul’s shore throw up a range of de-
lights
October 2010 The Spektator
T
V. PETROV, D. LUJANSIY, S. GLUHOVEROV, E. GORBACHEVA
OURISTS GOING TO LAKE ISSYK-KUL
in search of its vivid sunlight, chill wa-
ters and hot sand are often unaware
that they are surrounded by the ghosts
of long lost civilizations. Some such re-
minders of forgotten history are buried deep be-
low the ground, others, including whole towns
and cities, have been submerged by the fluctuat-
ing water levels of the lake. But Issyk Kul is not
a jealous guardian of its secrets, and a gener-
ous wave or the shifting of its sands can reward
even the most amateur of treasure hunters with
unique and intriguing artefacts. If you keep your
eyes open, it is not unusual for a stroll along the
lake shore to throw up whispers of the distant
past: a shard of pottery, the glint of sunlight on
an ancient blade, or even a macabre tangle of
prehistoric human bones lying partly uncovered
in the earth.
The Issyk-Kul region was settled at least as
early as the 10th century BC, a fact proven by the
number of tools and prehistoric sites that pep-
per the lake’s shore. Since then, a succession of
different tribes and peoples, constantly replac-
ing each other, left monuments to their own cul-
ture behind them. This land at the water’s edge
remembers the tribes of the Andronovs, Saks (a
branch of the Scythian people), Usuns, Turks, Ka-
rakhanids and many others – mysterious and ex-
otic names whose history few can claim to know
much about.
New monuments, ruins and artefacts are
found and registered each year as a result of un-
derwater scientific expeditions, and such discov-
eries are not only of value to archaeologists but
can be of great interest to the ordinary beach-
skimmer as well. An amateur-archaeologist-
enthusiast, Dmitry Lujanskiy from Chigu Open
Air Archaeology Museum, invited myself and a
group of adventurers from the Trekking Union
of Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Op-
erators and the Excursion Plus travel company to
undertake a journey around the lake to see what
fragments of forgotten history we could discover
for ourselves.
The trip turned out to be severe enough – we
tackled long stretches of shoreline overgrown
with hardy bushes and rush, taking steep turns
along dirt tracks, rivers, ravines and rocky paths
heaped up with stones – we encountered all the
elements necessary for a true adventure. And,
of course, throughout the expedition, the over-
whelming spirit of antiquity and mystery was
never far away.
The first fragments of forgotten history which
we encountered were carved stone paintings, or
petroglyphs, left by the nomadic tribes who once
roamed the region. Next, we came across the re-
mains of ancient cities and Sak kurgans, prehis-
toric graves constructed along both the northern
and southern shores of Issyk Kul.
The medieval city of Toru-Aigyr, the remains
of which we visited in awe, bears too great a
similarity to its larger middle-ages counterpart
Sikul to believe that they were not once one
and the same settlement. Nature has divided
the city into two parts, and now on the shore,
there seems to be the remains of several tells or
‘tepes’ (a type of archaeological site in the form
of an earthen mound, created by the occupation
and abandonment of cities over the course of
many centuries) and the ruins of a huge medieval
bathhouse which was dug out by archaeologists
at the end of the 1940s. The second part of the
city has long been submerged by the lake, and
it was this section that particularly interested us.
We walked along the shore for several kilometres
before we discovered hundreds of fragments of
pots and dishes, and a great number of human
bones. Most likely we had come upon a medieval
www.thespektator.co.uk

necropolis that had been situated in the drowned
section of the city. In respect of old customs we
carefully gathered the bones and reburied them.
Then we began the search for the city of
Chigu, one of the most famous of the Issyk-Kul
‘Atlantises’. Chigu (recorded as Chiguchen in
Chinese chronicles) used to be the captial of the
Usun state whose people migrated from eastern
Central Asia. In the 2nd century BC, Usuns con-
quered the Tien-Shan valleys, and their overlord
moved in on the former territory of the Saks in Is-
syk-Kul, yet by the end of the 1st century AD their
city had been submerged by the rising waters of
the lake.
At the bottom of the bay near the village of
Peschanoe, archaeologists have discovered the
remains of a separate ancient settlement know as
Sarybulun (dating from the 1st millennium BC).
Unfortunately, one would now need scuba div-
ing equipment to walk along its ancient streets,
but the southern shore of the bay reveals another
glut of ancient ceramics deposited by the waves.
At present, archaeologists are conducting an
intensive investigation into this ancient city. The
settlement would have been situated north of
the modern-day village of Darhan, and is repre-
sented by a typically wild section of lake shore. A
thick layer of sand stretches from the edge of the
shore to tangles of buckthorn and briar, springs
and wetlands. However, the wilderness of this se-
cluded spot is deceptive: from time to time the
waves release all sorts of ancient memories that
suggest a long-term period of sedentary inhabi-
tation.
Among findings from the bottom of lake one
can recognize everyday objects from the Sak and
Usun cultures, but the majority of the relics are
tools and household items of the early medieval
period. By the lakeside a tortkul (type of ancient
settlement) has been preserved, and in the area
www.thespektator.co.uk
around this site it is possible to find ceramics and
also building bricks that date from somewhere
between the 8th and 12th centuries AD. If you are
fortunate enough, you may even manage to find
coins, millstones or something even more valu-
able. A villager from Darhan, Toktobai Mooliev,
found two decorated daggers, a cup with a spout
and the better half of a large bronze cauldron
dating from the Sak period. These findings are
thought to be the residue of a complex sacrificial
rite, conducted on the shores of the lake over two
thousand years ago.
“If you keep your eyes open, it is
not unusual for a stroll along the
lake shore to throw up a shard of
pottery, the glint of sunlight on
an ancient blade, or even a maca-
bre tangle of prehistoric human
bones lying partly uncovered in
the earth”
The last fragment of forgotten history on our
journey was at the village of Tamga, namely, four
stones of Buddhist pilgrims that stood at one
kilometre intervals around the shore. The stone
nearest to the lake bears the name ‘Tamga- Tash’
(‘branded stone’). It is believed that this inscrip-
tion belonged to a hero from a forgotten national
folklore, who had cleaved the stone into two
with his sword and inscribed on it the amount of
scalps he had taken from his enemies. Another
inscription represents the traditional Buddhist
mantra “Om mani padme hum”.
This mantra is often found inscribed on small
icons, prayer wheels, monastic clothes and beads
Focus 15
in the predominantly Buddhist regions of South
and Central Asia. The mantra is particularly sacred
to followers of the Dalai Lama. It is believed that
the inscriptions in Tamga were engraved by Ti-
betans who inhabited the shore of Issyk- Kul dur-
ing their supremacy in the southern and eastern
Tien-Shan between the middle of the 8th and the
12th centuries AD.
Returning to Bishkek we stopped off at the
village of Kyzyl-Tuu , famous for its yurt masters.
The whole village is a giant yurt production zone,
and wherever one goes in the village, one finds
oneself surrounded by the various components
that make up a yurt. We were fortunate to meet
the famous yurt master Doku baike, builder of the
largest yurt in Central Asia with a diameter of 15
metres. We were most impressed by his spirit and
his devotion to his work. He revealed to us the se-
crets of the manufacturing process and showed
us some of the technology that goes into these
durable nomad dwellings. Upon finishing con-
struction of a yurt with Doku’s help, we were able
to sit in its cosy felt confines, witnessing in turn
the emblems and smells of the most recent civili-
zation to settle the Issyk Kul region.
October 2010 The Spektator
 16 Focus
Nevermind
the
Ballots...
Having sized up the competition and
the cost of participation, the Spektator
tried desperately hard to enter the 2010
parliamentary scrum, only to be reject-
ed by the Central Election Commission
on citizenship grounds. Therefore, as
compensation to our many thousands
of constituents, we teamed up with lo-
cal stylists Tilek and Saltanat to tell you
who’s hot and who’s not this coming Oc-
tober.
Top Kyrgyzstan’s Jogorku Kenesh parliament
(H. Firouzeh)
Left President Rosa Otunbayeva will remain in
her post regardless of the outcome of the vote
(archive)
Centre Omur Tekebayev in full song (archive)
Right Azimbek Beknazarov will be oversee-
ing proceedings, whilst hoping that his party
(BEK) make an impact without him (archive)
October 2010 The Spektator
W
THE SPEKTATOR WITH TILEK AND SALTANAT
OW, WHAT A year 2010 has been
for Central Asia’s first female presi-
dent, Rosa Otunbayeva. Coming
to power on the back of a popular
uprising, that April 7 coup must
have been like a déjà vu with added violence
for Kyrgyzstan’s leading lady - she was, lest we
forget, one of the key figures in the ‘Tulip Revo-
lution’ that brought her predecessor and sub-
sequent rival Kurmanbek Bakiev to the White
House in 2005.
It has hardly been smooth sailing since. In
the aftermath of those two nights of looting and
anarchy, Otunbayeva’s provisional government -
a motley selection of some of Kyrgyzstan’s most
familiar faces - never gave the impression of be-
ing in control of the country proper. Struggling
with illegal land grabs, recordings of telephone
conversations between feuding colleagues and
a spate of assaults on government buildings in
the South, Otunbayeva must have been hop-
ing the country could limp along until the long
heralded referendum on June 27th, devised to
bring a modicum of legitimacy to the republic’s
new caretakers.
Tragically, events in the town of her birth,
Osh, cast a giant shadow over efforts to bring
stability and due process to the country. Despite
her diplomatic skills, honed in the Soviet Un-
ion foreign ministry as well as under presidents
Askar Akaev and Bakiev, Otunbayeva could not
persuade Russia to interfere and restore normal-
ity. In its report on the southern conflict, the
International Crisis Group (ICG) named the pro-
visional government’s “loss of control over the
South” as “the most concerning development”
since violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks
erupted in mid-June.
Yet in spite of this, and in spite of suffering
defeat in a humiliatingly public standoff with
Osh mayor Melis Myrzakmatov, the October
elections could yet prove a light at the end of
the tunnel for the woman cruelly nicknamed
gvozdika (pink carnation). This English (speak-
ing) rose has, after all, long championed the
idea of Kyrgyzstan as a parliamentary democ-
racy, and overseeing a smooth transition to this
state of affairs would surely represent the high
point of her jack-in-a-box domestic political ca-
reer. But now to focus on the issue that really
matters: what should Otunbayeva wear on the
big day?
Tilek: To be honest I liked Rosa’s ‘April look’
- the headscarf might have been borrowed
from Benazir Bhutto, but it gave her some
revolutionary kudos. Ever since then it’s been
a descent into dowdiness - drab waistcoat and
undershirt combinations that lack imagination
and puff out that figure. I’m not saying “go for
the cleavage”, but our lady president has to sex
it up a bit. Even a few sharp suits like ex-British
prime minister Margaret Thatcher used to wear
would go a long way to instilling some cutting
edge.
Saltanat: The hair has to go! No wonder that
nasty man down in Osh isn’t scared of her with
that garish bowl cut. If you look at pictures of
Otunbayeva back in 2009, she touched up her
hairdo with some tasteful auburn highlights.
That said “modern”. This cut screams “mush-
room”. Generally I think her wardrobe comple-
ments her maternal style, so we don’t need any
changes there, but a trip to the hairdressers is
definitely in order before such a historic date.
www.thespektator.co.uk

Azimbek Beknazarov: The Enforcer
It is safe to say that big ‘Bek has been enjoying
the limelight recently. At the peak of his powers
and yet still largely powerless, he has decided to
eschew participation in the parliamentary elec-
tions (his party will participate without him) in
order to cling to his unelected position in Otun-
bayeva’s caretaker government.
Whether pronouncing on Kazakh-owned
resorts in Issyk Kul (he believes they should be
nationalized), befriending Osh strongman Myr-
zakmatov, or drawing up legislation to deny Kyr-
gyzstan’s first president Askar Akaev of political
immunity, Beknazarov has shamelessly used his
increased access to the media to indulge in na-
tionalist rhetoric and general demagoguery.
The Aksy-born sumo derives his limited
base of support from the South, and is thus seen
as a sort of bridge between Bishkek and the
country’s ‘other half’. A leaked telephone con-
versation between him and Almas Atambayev
revealed Beknazarov as having more interest in
the appointment of bent customs officials than
the running of the country. He is generally rec-
ognized as one of the Central Asian nation’s top
legislators, which under the circumstances is
profoundly worrying.
Tilek: Beknazarov definitely gets bravery points
for putting that face out into the public as often as
he does. The power moustache may curry favour
with those who are seeking a ‘Stalin’ character to
bring iron order to the country, although Uncle
Joe was undoubtedly more handsome. Alimbek’s
main strength lies in his choice of suits, which he
fills out majestically. Stick to dark colours with a
neutral coloured tie and election day should pass
smoothly for the double-barrelled Bekster.
www.thespektator.co.uk
Saltanat: Dark colours? He needs to be dressed
in a ninja suit! What has it come to when this
kolkhoznik makes our national laws? Smart jack-
ets or no smart jackets, Azimbek Beknazarov is a
pint-sized blot on our body politic. That whole
look is symbolic of the politics of corruption and
greed we are trying to get away from. As a femi-
nist I wouldn’t normally say this, but in his case I
wholeheartedly recommend the burkha.
Omurbek Tekebayev - The Heavyweight
Born into the powerful southern Ichilik clan in
Jalalabad region, 1958, Omurbek Tekebayev
certainly knows the ropes in terms of domestic
party politics. His party Ata-Meken was formed
way back in 1992, originally as an offshoot of
Erkin Kyrgyzstan (Free Kyrgyzstan). Since then
Tekebayev has held positions as both the dep-
uty speaker and speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh
parliament, leaving the latter post in 2006 fol-
lowing a conflict with former president Kurman-
bek Bakiev.
Given the extent to which his rival set out
to destroy him, we can deduce that Tekebayev
represented one of the greatest political threats
to the last ruling family. En route to an economic
conference in Warsaw in September, 2006, Polish
customs officials found over half a kilo of heroin
in Tekebayev’s luggage. A Polish court acquitted
him of charges and a parliamentary investigation
later pointed to security chief Janyshbek Bakiev’s
collusion with a customs official at Manas airport.
A second scandal dogged Omurbek in the form
of a mystery woman snapped snogging with
his likeness in a limousine. Tekebayev insists
that this was yet another podstava (framing) de-
signed by the Bakievs.
Focus 17
Game
Rulesthe
of
29 parties registered to compete in this
year’s parliamentary elections, doing bat-
tle over a total of 120 seats in the Jogorku
Kenesh. As a requirement for entry into
the vote, each party was asked to submit
lists of 120 candidates, at least a third of
whom should be women.
The lists indicate a kind of ranking sys-
tem and dictate the order in which MPs
will enter the parliament from their re-
spective parties. Thus, candidates halfway
down the list, even in the major parties,
have only a marginal chance of securing
seats. In smaller outfits, only the top five
on this list have a realistic hope.
Other rules include a general cap on
seats - no party can win more than 65.
This has attracted criticism due to the fact
that it negates proportional representa-
tion, and yet it has been put in place to
prevent any one party from being able to
control parliament without forming some
sort of coalition.
All parties must meet a threshold of
5% of the overall vote, in addition to at
least 0.5% of ballots cast in each of Kyr-
gyzstan’s seven regions and the munici-
palities of Osh and Bishkek. Parliament
will thereafter approve a prime minis-
ter and cabinet actually charged with
running the country - a first in a region
marked by strongmen presidents and
rubber stamp representative bodies.
October 2010 The Spektator
 18 Focus

Speaking at a rally in Bishkek against in- perately trying to sit on. A former leader of the Saltanat: With his foppish hairdo and stylish
creased utility tariffs on March 17th, 2010, Teke- Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society in Kyr- frames I think Edil Baisalov possesses a sensi-
bayev said that if the government didn’t heed gyzstan, Baisalov was roundly criticized when he tive urban charm. For this reason, the Aikol El
the population’s demands for more democracy made the jump into politics. An ill-advised blog poster campaign featuring him in a kalpak was a
and cheaper heating, “the opposition should post featuring a scanned ballot ruined his Social disastrous piece of PR. This simply betrays Edil’s
take power into its own hands”. Less than a Democratic candidacy in 2007, but a recent spell complex - that he isn’t ‘traditional’ enough to
month later, he appeared to have made good as chief of staff to interim president Rosa Otun- win votes outside Bishkek - he comes off looking
on his threat. After April 7th , Tekebayev took up baeva has gone some way to restoring his cred- like a tourist in his own country. Baisalov should
the role of deputy chairman in the provisional ibility. He left the coalition government to form lose the wizard hat and play to his strengths if
government, overseeing amendments to the his own party, Aikol El. he wants to make an impact in October - slick
national constitution before departing on the hair, a trim suit and imported Italian shoes are
Baisalov has a reputation as a PR man - elo-
campaign trail. the order of the day.
quent, astute and comfortable in front of the
Tilek: Peaky hairline, heavy jaw line - a good cameras. But that doesn’t mean he lacks a tough
Temir Sariev: The Bird of Prey
presidential combination in any Central Asian streak. In February 2003, Baisalov was scheduled
to attend a Freedom House roundtable, but gov- In the humble opinion of the Spektator, Temir
country. Unfortunately for Tekebayev, the post
he is competing for this time round is that of ernment authorities hospitalized the activist. Sariev has the best named party of the bunch.
prime minister. Nevertheless, as Omurbek has Three years later, he survived an assassination Ak Shumkar translates from the Kyrgyz as ‘white
proved throughout his career, he is a man for all attempt with an iron bar outside the CDCSK’s falcon’, and Falconer-in-Chief Sariev should cer-
seasons - baseball cap and denim shirt in front headquarters, allegedly due to his campaigning tainly get the opportunity to spread his political
of his Ata-Meken rowdies, specs and suit for the the Bakiev administration to crack down on or- wings in the next convocation of the Jogorku
culture vultures. Expect him to be there or there- ganized crime. Kenesh. A former co-chair of the ‘For Reforms
abouts by the end of the count. Disregarding these setbacks, Edil Baisalov Movement’ that lobbied for a stronger parlia-
has laboured on, tirelessly pushing for domestic ment, Sariev also tagged along in the 2005 del-
Saltanat: (Alleged) sex, (planted) drugs and an reforms and a more powerful ’third sector’. Oc- egation that went to Moscow to persuade Askar
appreciation of the sounds of the komuz - O.T Akayev to resign from his office.
tober will provide the real test as to whether or
has a bad boy appeal that certainly registers Born in 1963 in the Sokoluk area of Chui re-
not he can make a splash in the domestic politi-
with the zhigits prone to looting supermarkets gion, Sariev will face stiff competition from oth-
cal scene.
and smashing up restaurants every five years. er northern leaders such as Almas Atambayev.
Still, if Tekebayev wants to wind up on top of Tilek: He’s a bit skinny, isn’t he? Clearly Baisalov Sariev was moreover tarnished when as acting
this vote, he might want to play down his wilder hasn’t figured that weight equates to power finance minister earlier this year, his phone con-
side. I’m going to advise a discrete three-piece and status in Central Asian politics. I would versations with Atambayev and other members
and a red tie - his party’s colour - for what might
say he has a few bowls of beshbarmak to get of the provisional government were bugged
just be a golden day in autumn for Ata-Meken. through before he can grapple with the likes of and released on the Internet.
Tekebayev or even Temir Sariev - the man looks Sariev is nothing if not active. In the months
Edil Baisalov: The Lightweight practically vegetarian. The glasses, while sure leading up to April’s political upheavals he led
Educated at the American University of Central to swing votes amongst the capital’s educated demonstrations against the tyranny and corrup-
Asia, Edil Baisalov represents ‘the new breed’ of middle class, are unlikely to win friends in the tion of the Bakievs and was driven away and ar-
Kyrgyz politicians that the old breed are des- regions. rested on the day UN Secretary General Ban-Kim

October 2010 The Spektator www.thespektator.co.uk

 Focus 19
Far Left Edil Baisalov’s kalpak campaign is
a ‘disastrous piece of PR’ as far as Saltanat is
concerned (H. Firouzeh)

Left of Centre Almas Atambayev knows the

drill as far as elections are concerned (archive)

Centre Temir Sariev’s Ak-Shumkar are one of

several virgin parties hoping to gain seats in
the new parliament (archive)

Right of Centre Bobanov: out to prove he is

more than just ‘the other Omurbek’ (archive)

Fashion Fascists Bitchy trans-Atlantic stylists

Trinny and Susannah know nothing of the po-
litical situation in Kyrgyzstan (library image)

Moon visited Bishkek. Before going into politics ond most represented party after Bakiev’s Ak Jol. for Aidar Akayev, son of the first president of Kyr-
Sariev made his name in business. From 1995- Like his de facto political ally Otunbayeva, gyzstan, Babanov had already made a fortune
2000 he was general director of industrial firm Atambayev has been in and out of ministries before he made his political debut by joining the
Toton and he remains the owner of several cafes more times than a foreigner trying to renew ranks of the opposition Social Democratic Party
and discotheques in Bishkek. their visa. In free and fair voting conditions, this of Kyrgyzstan (SPDK).
veteran of Kyrgyz politics will surely be hoping Opportunity came calling in January 2009,
Tilek: “Need a result?: that means Sariev!” is a that this time will be his time. when former president Kurmanbek Bakiev in-
kind of dorky campaign slogan, but we get the vited Babanov to switch sides and take up the
idea - Ak-Shumkar mean business this October. Tilek: Man I’m bored of this guy - he’s older than post of first deputy prime minister, supposedly
Everyone knows that party leader Temir Sariev is the mountains, right? Aside from dressing up as as part of an initiative to bring fresh, reform-
a C.E.O type, and the fact that he’s doing nothing a chick, I don’t think Almas Atambayev can do minded youngsters into the highest reaches
to hide that is a good thing. Wear the Rolex, drive anything to surprise the electorate this Octo- of government. In joining the government and
the Beamer - this party could soon be soaring. ber - we know what he’s all about. He’s not a suit relinquishing his SPDK membership, Babanov
man generally, preferring shirt-and-tie tandems revealed his penchant for pragmatism, quipping
Saltanat: New party, new look and guess what? that give him a well-travelled ‘office look’. While
that “you can’t ride two horses at the same time”.
I like it. Temir is sharply dressed and sticks to his I’d love him to take some risks this campaign
chosen colour scheme of turquoise and white. season, I can’t see him altering his image much - Tilek: With his jacket-slung-over-the-shoulder
During his brief tenure as acting finance minis- there is too much at stake. look, ‘the other Omurbek’ has certainly been
ter Atambayev accused him of having certain the star of the 2010 parliamentary elections
‘predatory’ instincts, so I think Sariev and the Saltanat: I happen to think that Atambayev billboard campaign. Also, Babs is clearly mix-
falcon are a good fit. Nevertheless, Sariev and and Otubayeva would make a really cute prime ing with the right crowd - sportsmen and other
his people are a bit pasty and urbane to make minister-president combination. He has taken to
young, upwardly mobile sorts providing solid
headway beyond Toktogul,while their manifesto middle age really well and has finally developed
evidence that he is keeping better company
stance against populism reveals a fundamental that waistline that most men in this country re-
than he kept during his misspent youth. Never-
naivety regarding politics in this country. spect. I disagree with Tilek that his style is bor-
theless, I still look at him as one for 2015, rather
ing, rather it is symbolic of a man who is ready to
Almas Atambayev: The Old Hand than this time round. A few grey hairs would
get down to work on behalf of his country. True,
give him a sense of seniority, without overtly
Another old face, Chui-born Almas Atambayev his face isn’t as fresh as some of the other candi- damaging his appeal to the fairer sex.
and the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan dates, but I think it’s a face we can trust.
which he chairs have been active in Kyrgyz Saltanat: Wow, the Republican party are hot,
politics since independence, the height of his Omurbek Babanov: The Wild Card and up against what we are used to seeing in
personal power coming in 2007 when former Omurbek Babanov’s party ‘Republic’ was only the Jogorku Kenesh parliament, so is Babanov!
president Kurmanbek Bakiev appointed him as created in June 2010, but they haven’t wasted No-one knows a lot about this party - but given
prime minister. any time swallowing up billboard space in the the prevailing apathy towards other candidates,
The SDPK had made inroads in nearly all elec- capital as they seek to encroach on the political that could be their secret weapon. The light
tions since independence; in the heavily rigged territory of older, better-established units. Baba- blue/yellow/white colour scheme is quite taste-
2000 vote he finished third behind Omurbek nov himself is one of the youngest major candi- ful - a bold approach that stops short of being
Tekebayev and incumbent Askar Akayev, while in dates in these elections at just forty years of age. obnoxious. The future is bright, the future is Ba-
2005 the SPDK became the Jogorku Kenesh’s sec- A successful entrepreneur who managed assets banov!

www.thespektator.co.uk October 2010 The Spektator

 20 Blog of the Month
Right: Even in distant Kyrgyzstan, porridge lov-
ers are being confronted by buckwheat short-
ages
The
Buckwheat
Blues
ANTOINE BLUA
MOSCOW, September 18 (RFE/RL) - Devastating
fires and droughts are not the only consequenc-
es of the heat wave that hit much of the former
Soviet Union this summer.
Millions of people across the region are now
hit by another misfortune: buckwheat short-
ages.
The scarcity of buckwheat, a regional food
staple, has translated into rocketing prices. It has
also triggered a number of practices reminiscent
of the past such as panic-buying, speculation,
and hoarding.
This grocery shopper in the Belarusian re-
gion of Hrodna complained to RFE/RL’s Belaru-
sian Service: “What can we, the little people, do
when we have leadership like this all around?
Why should Belarusians have to suffer and pur-
chase [buckwheat] for high prices, when we
grew enough and have plenty? Everything that
trickles down to us we have to buy for insane
prices.”
Such a reaction is anything but trivial in
countries like Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus, where
millions of people eat buckwheat every day.
Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner
RFE/RL correspondent Merkhat Sharipzhanov
is among buckwheat enthusiasts who regu-
larly consume the beloved staple as a cereal for
breakfast, a side dish, stuffing, or pancakes.
“We learnt about buckwheat when we were
schoolchildren. It was my favorite porridge for
lunch at school. It was very cheap and also it was
very popular for households because it was so
easy to cook,” Sharipzhanov said.
“Of course, [I ate] buckwheat on a daily basis
when I was a soldier in the Soviet Army in 1981,
1982, and 1983. Among other porridges, buck-
wheat was the yummiest, the most nutritious,
and the most popular one among soldiers.”
In Russia, this summer’s record-high temper-
atures, compounded by a devastating drought
and forest fires, has destroyed one-quarter of
the country’s crops and cut harvest forecasts.
October 2010 The Spektator
According to some estimates, the buck-
wheat crop in Russia -- the world’s top producer
-- may more than halve this year following an-
other poor harvest in 2009. As a result, the aver-
age price for buckwheat jumped from 31 rubles
($1) per kilo in June to 47 rubles ($1.50) in late
August, according to official statistics.
The extreme weather has also affected the
harvest in other countries in the region, particu-
larly Ukraine - the world’s third-largest buck-
wheat producer - where areas growing buck-
wheat have halved in recent years.
Acknowledging the shortage’s potentially
destabilizing effect, officials in the region are
taking the issue seriously.
They say they are working to alleviate the
buckwheat shortage but insist reserves will al-
low the countries to meet this year’s demand.
Some governments have introduced or are
considering introducing export bans or restric-
tions.
Folklore Food
Buckwheat is not necessarily as central to the re-
gion’s diet as wheat, but it is considered more of
a distinctly national food.
Irena Chalupa, the director of RFE/RL’s
Ukrainian Service, says “buckwheat is part of the
dietary fabric of Ukrainian life.”
“I particularly remember the [2005] Orange
Revolution, when people started camping out in
the streets. Many people, Kyiv residents, brought
them food. It was winter and they would bring
them boiled buckwheat, seasoned with salt and
pepper, perhaps butter or oil, sometimes with a
few mushrooms thrown in,” she says.
RFE/RL’s Belarus Service Director Alexander
Lukashuk points out that Soviet dictator Joseph
Stalin’s henchman, Vyacheslav Molotov, who
died at 96, adored buckwheat and considered it
a key to a long and healthy life.
Lukashuk says the Soviet regime extensively
promoted buckwheat, which is valued for its nu- RFE/RL’s Ukrainian and Belarus services contrib-
trients.
“If one opens a Soviet newspaper 50 years
ago, one would find quite a number of articles ti-
tled ‘The Communist Party’s Care for Buckwheat,’
‘Those who Underestimate Buckwheat,’ ‘Buck-
wheat - a Valuable Source of Nutrients,’” he says.
Despite its name, buckwheat isn’t related to
any grain, but is the fruit of a broadleaved plant.
This little brown triangular kernel is believed
to have originated in China.
Sharipzhanov says it traveled to Eastern Eu-
rope along with Asian invaders
“It is believed that it was brought to Russia
and further to Eastern Europe by Mongol Tatar
invaders who first invaded China and knew
what buckwheat was. In the Czech Republic for
instance, it is called ‘pohanka’ -- which means pa-
gan or pagan’s food,” Sharipzhanov says.
“When Mongol Tatars invaded Eastern Eu-
rope centuries ago, they managed to survive
droughts, feeding their horses with buckwheat
and eating it themselves.”
Buckwheat has since colonized the region’s
cuisine but also its folklore and traditions such
as harvesting and pulling songs.
Chalupa says that in Ukraine, buckwheat has
become a euphemism for adultery.
“’To jump into buckwheat’ means to com-
mit adultery. And I can think of a multitude of
literary references to this. It’s something that
Ukrainians often use as a phrase, as a manner of
speech,” Chalupa says.
“Why buckwheat? I have absolutely no idea,
because it doesn’t really grow that high -- five
feet, or 1.5 meter, would probably be the maxi-
mum. So it isn’t such a very high thing to grow
so you could hide in there and commit adultery.
But, I suppose if you’re committed to do it, you
can find ways of doing it even in the lowest
[crops].”
uted to this report
www.thespektator.co.uk
25
 THE GUIDE
22
Bars
and
restaurants
There’s a fine line between ‘bar’ and ‘restaurant’ in a variety of unusual Chinese delicacies to throw in.
Bishkek. Places more suitable for drinking sessions Beware, the ‘spicy’ sauce, although delicious, may
are marked with a star *
Price Guide (main course and a garnish)
$ - Expect change from 150 som
$$ - A little over 250 should do the trick
$$$ - Expect to pay in the region of 350
$$$$ - A crisp 500 (or more) needed in this joint
American
Cowboy* (Toktogul/Orozbekova)
Bishkek’s all-American restaurant-cum-dance club bouring table like we did. $$
has now gone a little more up-market, but wild
nights are still to be had. Dig in to a kilo of chicken
wings and then hit the dance floor. $$$
Hollywood*(Druzhba/Sovietskaya)
As you would probably guess, decorated with
movie posters, photos of cinema icons and a bunch Shaolin (Zhibek Zholu/Prospect Mir)
of American kitsch. Hollywood is popular with a This tidy looking restaurant sticks out for its sheer
younger crowd and is usually packed from mid- range of oriental dishes and its large, round tables
evening onwards. A fun place for a few drinks before that make it ideal for extended gatherings. $$
heading off to the clubs. $$
Metro* (133, Chui)
In the impressive location of a former theatre, Metro
remains the première drinking hole for ex-pats. A
high ceiling, a long bar and friendly staff compli-
ment a good Tex-Mex menu and a wide selection
of drinks. Metro is one of the best bets for catch-
ing sporting events on TV, although thanks to the
hideously late kickoff times for Champions League
football matches, don’t count on the staff waiting up
unless it’s a big one. $$$
New York Pizza (177, Kievskaya)
Decorated with pictures of the Big Apple and serv-
ing a fine selection of steaks and other American-
themed dishes, NYP is sure to get New Yorkers think-
ing of home. For home delivery ring (0312) 909909.
$$$
Armenian
Landau (Manas/Gorky)
Fancy something a little different? If you can tol-
erate the arthritic service, Landau isn’t a bad spot
for a pork steak or some other Armenian culinary
goodies. Also, treat yourself to some decent Arme-
nian conjac whilst your here, you’ll never go near
Bishkek conjac again. Ever. $$$
Chinese
Ak-Bata (108, Ibraimova)
This place must serve up pretty authentic dishes
as it’s always full of Chinese playing mah-jong and
waving their chopsticks about. Smoky and stuffy,
but in a nice way. $
October 2010 The Spektator
Bishkek life
Chuchuara Hoga (117, Chui)
With this Chinese restaurant, a little out of the way
and rarely visited by tourists, you really feel you
are getting the real deal. Request a хого (your own
personal Chinese boiling-pot) and randomly select
leave delicate stomachs in some distress several
hours later - consider the ‘not-spicy’ sauce as a suit-
able alternative $$
Frunze
(Chui/Pravda)
Free semechki is one of many reasons to check out
this lively hangout, rammed with Chinese at lunch
and dinner time. The menu is encyclopediac in
terms of scope, but if you’re feeling bewildered,
just point to something tasty-looking on a neigh-
Peking Duck I & II
(Soviet/Druzhba & Chui/Tog. Mol.)
Huge portions to feed even the biggest of glut-
tons and an English language menu that provides
plenty of amusing translations. $$
Dungan
Hui Min (Relocated to the Hotel Dostuk)
A former favourite, we have been told that Hui Min
has now relocated to the Hotel Dostuk. Apparently
the menu has been revamped and the prices in-
creased. The Spektator will be checking it out soon.
We hope they still serve the special Dungan tea, as
it’s rather good.
Georgian
Mimino (27, Kievskaya)
Mimino is nice, cosy and serves up bowl-fulls of steam-
ing, hearty Georgian fare with pomegranate seeds
a-plenty. We recommend the kjadjapuri, khinkali and
anything that’s served in a pot. Watch out for Uncle Joe
at the door. $$$$
German
Steinbrau* (5, Gerzena)
Don your beer drinking trousers and head down European flavour. Curl up and read a book, or just
to Bishkek’s take on a Bavarian-style beer hall. They drop in for a caffeine hit and a chocolate fix. $$$
brew their own stuff - such a relief from the insipid
bilge that’s normally sold as lager. Compliment your Cosmo Bar* (Sovietska/Moskovskaya)
pint with a plate of German sausage with sauerkraut. Board the sweet smelling elevator, ascend to the
$$$
Uighur
Karavan (Almatinkskoya/Chui)
Excellent little stolvya (canteen) full of the timeless Situated inside the Hyatt, this is a joint to be re-
regional favourites. Being an Uighur restaurant its gero served for a business lunch or marriage proposal
lagman or lagman pa Uighurski particularly stand out.
No smoking, sit, eat and leave. $
International
2x2* (Isanova/Chui)
Trendy drinking hole with a circular bar and friend-
ly staff. A good place for knocking back a few pre-
nightclub cocktails. Slouch into one of the comfy
lounge seats and try to look cool. $$$
12 Chimneys (TeplIkluchy village)
Wooden cabin located by a rushing stream thirty min-
utes out of town. The overpriced food is more than
compensated for by the chilled atmosphere and wild
surroundings. Hotel accommodation also available.
Head south on Almatinskaya and keep going. $$$$
Bacardi (Togolok Moldo 17/1)
Elite lounge bar affair with separate rooms for din-
ing, dancing and whiling the night away smoking
hukkah pipes. Urban grooves played at a reason-
able volume and a full menu that includes a range
of tasty platters. $$$$
Blonder Pub (Pravda/Kulatova
Blonder Pub is the new brewery-restaurant to try
out. Cavernous yet cosy inside, there’s decent blues
every night, live Premiership Football, Eurogrub
and a good selection of ales. In regard to the latter
we recommend ‘Datski Shnaffer’. $$$$
Buddha Bar (Sovietskaya/Akhunbayeva)
Buddha bar offers a taste of the East inside a tastefully
constructed zen log cabin. The sushi is excellent, and
for those on a budget, the stir-fry noodle dishes make
an excellent lunch. Recommended! $$$$
Captain Nemo’s (14, Togolok Moldo)
Small nautically themed restaurant with a selection
of evocatively named dishes including ‘Fish from the
ship’s boy’ and ‘Tongue from the boatswain’s wife’.
Cosy wooden interior and porthole style windows
create an underwater log cabin experience. Spirits,
cocktails and a good business lunch. $$$
Ceska (Alatoo Square)
Cousin to Blonder Pub, this Bros Co. ‘theme bar’ is
worth checking out for its fantastic tiramisu cake
alone. Every third beer is free but don’t get too ex-
cited - they come in 0.4l glasses. $$$
Coffee House (9, Manas & Togolok Moldo/Ryskulova)
Treat yourself to some of the finest coffee and
cakes Bishkek has to offer at the imaginatively
named ‘Coffee House’, a cosy boutique café with a
top-floor Cosmo Bar and splash the cash with your
fellow free-spending cosmonauts. Elegant interior,
plush sofas, fancy drinks and pretty waitresses.
Huzzah! $$$$
Crostini (191, Abdrahmanova)
only. Chef Taner Erdemir serves up mouth-water-
ing international cusine, but at a price. $$$$$
www.thespektator.co.uk
 Bars, Restaurants & Clubs 23
Dillinger* (Gorky/Tynystanova) Lounge Bar* (338a, Frunze) Cyclone (136, Chui)
Glamorous VIP complex including a restaurant, bar One of our favourite places to drink in the Summer- Smart Italian restaurant with plush interior, efficient,
and casino. A decedantly decorated and perculiarly time, when we can afford it. Outdoor balcony-cum- polite serving staff and a warm atmosphere to al-
endearing homage to the notorious bank robber - terrace high above the street with slouch-couches leviate Bishkek’s winter chills. Pasta dishes stand out
we’re sure he would appreciate it. $$$$ and fine views of the circus - which you can some- among a menu of traditional Italian favourites. $$$
times smell in hot weather. Nice. $$$
Fatboy’s* (Chui/Tynystanova) Dolce Vita (116a, Akhunbaeva)
Civilized, friendly cafe bang in the middle of town and Navigator (103, Moskovskaya) Cosy Italian restaurant with smiling waitresses serv-
a popular ex-pat meeting point. Sensible spot for con- A pricy, but pleasant place to while away an after- ing excellent pizza. Also serves salads and European
versation, but if you’re alone there’s a mini-library to pe- noon. Sit in the bar area over a beer or lounge in the cuisine. Small terrace outside for summertime din-
ruse (although literary classics are thin on the ground). ing. $$
airy non-smoking conservatory. Attentive service
Check out the American pancakes for breakfast, top
and a refreshing selection of salads, a good place
marks. $$$
for a light, healthy lunch when fat and grease are Japanese
Four Seasons (116a, Tynystanova) getting you down. $$$$
One of the poshest places to eat out in Bishkek. El- Aoyama (93, Toktogula)
egant, yet modern interior and polite service. Great Stary Edgar’s* (15, Panfilova) Elegant sushi joint frequented by serious looking
place to splash out on a special occasion or just for The concrete monstrosity of the Russian Theatre con- suited-types concluding their latest dodgy deals.
the hell of it. $$$$ ceals one of Bishkek’s finest attempts at a cosy base- The food’s excellent though - if you can scrape to-
gether enough soms. $$$$
ment bar. Friendly staff, a decent menu and a collection
Foyer (27, Erkindik ) of old bits and bobs decorating the walls make Edgar’s Watari (Shevchenko, Frunze)
Run by a friendly young couple, Foyer is an excel- an attractive alternative to the city’s mainstream cafés. A small Japanese-owned restaurant that serves su-
lent place to enjoy an evening cocktail or check shi as well as dishes with a more indian flavour. The
A blues band plays most nights and a pianist adds a ro-
your inbox with a cup of coffee. Free Wi-Fi, good refined atmosphere makes it ideal for a business
mantic ambience on some Sunday evenings. $$$
deserts and live music on Wednesday and Saturday. meeting or just a sophisticated night out $$$
Recommended! $$$$
U Mazaya (Behind ‘Zaks’ on Sovietskaya)
Griffon (Microregion 7) Possibly Central Asia’s only rabbit themed restaurant. Korean
A cosy log-cabin affair with a large meat-roasting Descend into this underground warren and tuck in.
central fireplace. On one disturbing occasion the Also check out the fairy-light adorned flagship sister- Petel (52, Zhykeeva Pudovkin)
waiting staff were about as plesant as a bunch of rabbit-restaurant in Asenbai micro region. $$$ Operating in the back room of a Korean family’s
chavs, but hopefully that was a passing phase. $$$ house, this is Korean style home-cooking at its most
Vavilon (Microregion 7) personal. Closed on Sunday. Ring: 0543 922539 $$

Do you want to play Finely presented dishes, reasonably priced beer (60

Cricket?
som) genuinely friendly and attentive service and a Santa Maria (217, Chui)
music playlist that mixes up a bit of soul, jazz, swing Plush Korean restaurant offering Eastern favourites,
and classical tracks played at just the right volume. including exciting Korean barbecues where you get
Live music from 8-ish on most evenings. Definitely to cook your own dinner, plus an extensive Euro-
The Spektator is selling a pean menu. $$$
shorthandle secondhand cricket bat, worth the trek out to the suburbs ( tell your taxi driver
to turn left at the yuzhniy vorota and head towards
imported from England and used
Asenbai for about 1.5km) $$$
Lebanese
several times on the green fields of
Beirut (Shevchenko/Frunze)
Bishkek. 1700 som. Also, 2 tennis Indian Now in a new location, Beirut continues to serve en-
raquets available for 1000/1500 som. The Host (Sovietskaya, opposite the Hyatt) ticing Lebanese goodies including falaffle, humus,
A varied and interesting menu including fine Indian and tasty little meat pie things. $$$
Contact editor@thespektator.co.uk
food make this place a real treat. On midweek days
there are also several excellent business lunch deals
offering a soup, salad, main course and dessert for Moldovan
Jam* (179, Toktogula) 250-350 som. A real stand out and a Spektator fa-
An underground oasis of cool. Jam is a cafe with a vourite! $$$$ Moldova Restaurant (Kievskaya/Turusbekova)
full menu, kalians (shisha pipes) and a lounge bar If it’s been a while since you last went out for a
atmosphere, open till 3am . $$$$ Italian Moldovan, this wooden paneled, sturdy-tabled ea-
tery may be the answer to your prayers. Also, the
Jumanji (Behind the circus) Adriatico (219, Chui) Moldovan Embassy is next door should you care
It’s strange. This place is decorated with fake jungle Reportedly suffering following the departure of to learn more about the world’s favourite budget-
foliage and is based on a crap kids’ film yet still sort its Italian chef, Walter, although we have been told wine exporting country. $$$
of works. You also get to roll a pair of Jumanji dice that the soup is still excellent. $$$$
before you order for the chance to win a special se- Regional/Central Asian
cret prize - we like this. $$$ Bella Italia (Kievskaya/K.Akiev)
Adriatico’s former Italian chef, Walter, has moved Arabica* (Mederova/Tynastanova)
Live Bar* (Kulatova/Pravda) homes and is now serving a practically identical range This formerly sophisticated laid back shisha pipe)
Twenty-four hour sports bar with live music at of dishes at this spot just behind October cinema. bar has moved to a new location and, by the looks
weekends. Plenty of leather couches provide the Enjoy the best pizza in town, gnocci and other typi- of the bath in the toilets, may still be under devel-
ideal place to sip cocktails whilst watching the cal Italian numbers, tasty business lunches from 200 opment. Three floors, VIP rooms, kaliyans aplenty.
Champions league at three in the morning. $$$$ soms. $$$$ $$$

Spektator
THE

.co.uk
Find the best bars in town with the Spektator and thespektator.co.uk

www.thespektator.co.uk October 2010 The Spektator

 24 Bars, Restaurants & Clubs
Arzu-II (Sovietskaya/Lev Tolstoy bridge) Zaporyzhia (9, Prospect Mira) Apple (28, Manas)
Twenty-four hour joint that’s a godsend for those Recently opened, Zaporyzhia is a cossack fla- Fat, old, lecherous foreigners not welcome, this
who get cravings for lagman or manti at four in voured restauraunt in a varnish-scented log cab- place is for a younger cooler crowd. Multiple bars,
the morning. Sometimes smoking isn’t allowed, in. Hearty rustic dishes and a homely atmosphere. large dance floor, friendly atmosphere. Thursday
sometimes it is, however the food and prices are The medovukha is recommended! $$$ usually a big night. (Entrance charge 100-300 som)
constantly pretty good. Comfy booth style seats to
dig yourself into after a heavy night. $$ Turkish Arbat (9, Karl Marks)
Ajar (On Erkindik between Moskovskaya, Toktogula) Tel. 512094; 512087
Arzu-I (Togolok Moldo, next to the stadium) Smart ‘elite’ club popular with a slightly older
Offers a hearty selection of Kyrgyz and European Technically an ‘Azerbaijanian’, but don’t let this fact crowd. Strip bar and restaurant in same building.
dishes and a homely atmosphere. There’s also a ruin the best value kebabs in town. The menu is (Entrance charge 200/350 som midweek, 350/450
great outdoor terrace and national favorouit Arpa limited and if your Russian is too, just say ‘kebab’ and som Fri/Sat. Strip bar 700 som)
on draught. $$ something cheap and tasty will arrive. $
City Club (85/1, Zhukeyeva-Pudovkina)
Derevyashka* (Ryskulova, behind Dvorets Sporta) Carlson (166, Sovietskaya) Tel. 511513; 510581
Atmospheric drinking cabin that serves a range A good outdoor terrace and some hearty food, but So exclusive it makes the Spektator crowd feel like
of Central Asian and Russian cuisine, as well as an the Karaoke style crooners who provide evening cheap scum bags, City Club is one of the posh-
impressive array of pivo. Well worth it on football entertainment are an acquired taste. $$ est clubs in town. Get past the ‘face control’ (ugly
nights, when the locals are rather rowdy. $ people beware) and spend your evening with gang-
Huzur (Kievskaya/Togoluk Moldo,)
Faiza (Jibek Jolu/Prospect Mira) Convivial proprietor Ali claims to have Steven Ger- ster types, lecherous diplomats, Kazakh business-
Possibly the best place to munch traditional grub rard’s 2005 Champion’s League winning Liverpool men and a posse of young rich kids who all seem to
in town. Their fried pelmeni and manti are so good shirt. If you don’t believe that, belive in free lipyosh- have studied in London. (Entrance charge: girls 200/
that they have often run out by supper-time. Save ka and good, affordable Turkish cuisine. $$ boys 300, Fri/Sat girls 300/boys 500
an appetite and go early. $$ Golden Bull (Chui/Togolok Moldo)
Konak (Sovietskaya/Gorkova)
Forel (Vorentsovka village) This Turkish joint used to be ‘Restaurant Camelot’ Tel. 620131
Twenty minutes outside of Bishkek, Forel is a fish- hence the incongruous suits of armour in the back A Bishkek institution. Full of ex-pats and tourists liter-
based ‘relaxation centre’ set amongst babbling room, and the rather crappy castle facade. However, ally every night of the week. Long bar, friendly staff,
streams and offering fine veiws of the mountains. Fish the food is often great, the salads are large and fresh, cheapish beer, everyone’s happy. (Entrance charge
your own trout out of a pool and have it deep fat fried and the staff are always pleasant. Recommended! [girls/boys] free/400 midweek, 150/400 Fri/Sat. ‘For-
for your pleasure. Only salads, bread, tea and juice are (And now open 24 hours a day) $$ eigners’ free.)
sold on site but you are welcome to bring any booze
Retro Metro (24, Mira)
Night
or garnish you desire, it’s also possible to rent a BBQ.
www.retrometro.kg
To get there take a taxi to Vorentsovka village and, if

your taxi driver doesn’t know the exact location, ask a
friendly villager. Trout is 800som/kilo $$$
Jalalabad (Togolok Moldo/Kievskaya)
Basically the cheapest food (that won’t give you gut
rot) in the centre of town. While it should stand out
for its fresh lagman, Jalalabad is sometimes over-
looked. Probably at its best in summer, when the
shashlyk masters flanking the entrance offer their
creations straight to guests sitting at Eastern-style
tables – cross your legs and see how long you can
last before cramp sets in. $
Advertise with
Clubs
Bright, happy, 80’s kitsch bar, the DJ spins his rec-
ords from inside the front of a VW camper van. One
of the most popular places for post-2am partying.
(Entrance charge: 200/300 som midweek, 350/450
There are some Bishkek old-hands who say that som Fri/Sat. Reserve for 200 som)
things aren’t what they used to be when it comes to
nightlife in Bishkek. They talk of legendary nights of Live Music
carnage, vomit, and debauchery - delights that con-
temporary Bishkek struggles to offer. Promzona (16, Cholpon-Atinskaya)
Not so, we say. Take your pick from the list below and www.promzona.kg
we’re sure there’s still enough carnage, vomit and Promzona’s far-flung location sadly means a taxi
debauchery in town to keep everyone happy. ride or a long walk home are in order at the end
of a night. Nevertheless, this trendy live music
venue has a lot going for it: good bands, an exten-
Diskoklubs
sive menu, and a hip industrial interior featuring,

the Spektator
Heaven (Frunze/Pravda - in the Hotel Dostuk) strangely, a wind tunnel fan, make this one of the
As Heaven is found inside a hotel it is surprisingly best nights out in Bishkek. Tuesday is Jazz night.
unseedy. In fact it stands out for being a bastion of Rock or blues bands normally play at the week-
Rates from 1500 som per page. the well-dressed (if one is generous). Turn up in tatty ends. (Music charge 200-350 som)
jeans and a t-shirt and you may feel a little out of Tequila Blues (Turesbekova/Engels)
Email:
place; then again, you may not give a shit. Tables by A possible misnomer, the tequila is just fine but
advertise@thespektator.co.uk the dancefloor cost 1000 som but include drinks up the blues is non-existent. Russian studenty types
to this value. (Entrance charge 200-400 som) mosh away the nights to Rock bands in an at-
mospheric underground bunker. (Music charge
Russian/Ukrainian Fire & Ice (Tynystanova/Erkindik) 150 som)
A slightly grittier version of Golden Bull. Again, for-
Pirogoff-Vodkin (Kievskaya/Togolok Moldo) eigners can often get in for free. Popular throughout Sweet Sixties (Molodaya Gvardia/Kievskaya)
Classy restaurant with a turn of the 20th century the week. (Entrance ‘foreigners’ free) Live cover bands most nights. Full menu, popular
atmosphere serving Russian specialities. Have your with a younger crowd. $$
tea in a giant samovar. $$$ Pharoah (East side of the Philharmonic)
An underground lair packed with eyecatching nods Zeppelin (43, Chui)
Khutoryanka (Sovietskaya/Lev Tolstoy bridge)
to Ancient Egypt. Foreigners can sometimes negoti- Zeppelin is in the same vein as the old Tequila
Unassuming, to put it mildly, on the outside, this
ate cheaper or free entry, but be prepared for the big Blues but not quite so spit and sawdust. On the
place is a revelation on the inside. Delicious food,
sting inside - beer costs the best part of 200som. nights we’ve visited, there’s been a line up of young
reasonable service, Ukrainian brass band music
Charge ( 400-500 som) rock or punk bands strutting their stuff, heavier
on the cd player. We love it! $$$
beats seem to go down best with the young Rus-
Taras Bulba (Near the Yuzhniy Vorota on Sovietskaya) Platinum (East side of the Philharmonic) sian crowd. Full restaurant menu.
Like all the Ukrainian restaurants we’ve tried in Take a seat at the snazzy 360 degree bar and do bat- (Entrance charge 100-150 som)
Bishkek, Taras Bulba serves great food. We liked the tle with some of Kyrgyzstan’s most convivial ‘elite’ for
potato pancakes with caviar, the delicious soups gold-digging temptresses. (Entrance charge 400- Live music also common at Stary Edgar’s, Beatles
and fresh salads. $$$ 500 som) Bar, Foyer and Blonder Pub (see ‘restaurants’)

October 2010 The Spektator www.thespektator.co.uk

 Map 25

www.thespektator.co.uk October 2010 The Spektator

 26 What’s On
Parliamentary Elections
Sunday, October 10th
Polling stations near you
Kyrgyzstan’s day of destiny. Show up in force
to cheer on your favourite Kyrgyz politicians,
and, hopefully, by the end of a day, raise a toast
to a new era of stable democracy in the Kyrgyz
Republic. Be forewarned: the authorities are ex-
tremely nervous. Wearing a balaclava in the vicin-
ity of polling stations is not advised.
Art Exhibition
Until October 15th
Exhibition by painter Alexander Viktorov
Taking place in the Olga Manuilova house-mu-
seum, Viktorov’s collection of realist works is en-
titled “Autumn Blues”, focussing on the shapes
and colours of fall. Viktorov has sold works in
Austria, Turkey, Germany and the U.S.A, as well
as the former U.S.S.R. Check 312.kg for more info.
October Dates
22nd October
The Last Rose of Summer
18.00pm
Classical music concert celebrating the begin-
ning of the new season. This is expected to be
very popular. Call (0555) 769 073 to book tickets
in advance.
Kyrgyz State Philharmonic
Tel: 21 22 62
30th October
Premiere of “Wedding in Malinovka”
Musical Comedy
Famous Tashkent-born Vyacheslav Brodyanskiy
will direct a version of this classic in honour of
the Russian Drama Theatre’s 75th anniversary.
Originally a love story set during the Russian
civil war, Brodyanskiy’s score will be modern
and the storyline will “mirror present conflicts” .
Russian Drama Theatre
Tel: 66 20 32
31st October
Halloween Disco `
These costume=discount affiars at apple are
usually good fun. Don’t spare on the pre-party
cognac, don your Azimbek Beknazarov face
mask and scare the hell out of your friends.
Apple Night Club
Manas, 28
Trekking Union Dates for July Entertainment Directory
9th October The Puppet Theatre
Trip to Alamedin reservoir Sovietskaya/Michurina
One day trip to Alamedin reservoir. Hike to a wa- Performances on Sundays at 11:00am.
terfall and open air picnic. Same day return to
Bishkek. Transportation cost: 200 soms for non Russian Drama Theatre
TUK members/170 soms for members. Tynystanova, 122 (Situated in Oak Park)
Tel.: 662032, 621571
10th October Hours: Mon-Sun, 10:00-18:00
White water rafting in Chui/Issyk Kul region Tickets 30-100 som
Difficulty level 2-3 (not for complete beginners), A range of local and international plays in Rus-
duration 2-2.5 hours, distance 20-25 miles. Group sian.
size 12 -16 people. Cost of rafting: 1400 soms per
person /10% discount for TUK members. Trans-
The Conservatory
port cost for a group of 12-16 people: 350 soms
Jantosheva, 115
per person/300 soms for TUK members.
Tel: 479542
16th October Concerts by students and professors.
Paintballing near Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Same day return to Bishkek. Cost of participation: Kyrgyz State Philharmonic
360 soms per person with two teams of 9 peo- Chui Prospect, 253
ple. Cost of transport for a group of 16 or more Tel: 212262, 212235
Hours: 17:00-19:00 in summer
people: 120 soms per person/100 soms for TUK
Tickets: 70-100 som (sometimes much more for
members.
special performances)
17th October There are two concert halls featuring classical,
Trekking expedition to Sokuluk gorge. traditional Kyrgyz, and pop concerts and a variety
One-day hike to Sokuluk gorge. Visit a waterfall. of shows.
Collect medicinal herbs (thyme, oregano, etc.
Mild to moderate intensity. Length of route: 8 km. Opera Ballet Theatre
Cost of transport plus guiding and consultation Sovietskaya/Abdymununova
costs for a group of 15 people: 250 soms per per- Tel: 66 15 48
son/220 soms for TUK members. Hours: 17:00-19:00
Tickets: 150-600 som
23rd October Tickets for performances sell out very quickly and
Hiking in Issyk-Ata region it is necessary to book a seat in advance.
Hike along the river bank to the foot of Botwe
mountain (4008m). Open air picnic. Visit a water-
fall. Swim in a hot spring pool. Same day return Live updates
to Bishkek. Cost of transport for a group of 12-13
people: 250som/ 200som for TUK members. For all the Bishkek opera, ballet and concert listings,
check our frequently updated What’s On listings at:
24th October www.thespektator.co.uk
Berry campaign near Bishkek
Hike in little Chun Kurchak. Walk around the
gorge, picking berries (barberry, rose hips, haw- Spektral Travel
thorn etc.) Same day return to Bishkek. Cost of
transportation plus guiding and consultation Last chance dashes to Issyk Kul may well be the safest and
costs for a group of 15 people: 200 soms per per- most advisable option this autumn, with the water only
son/170 soms for TUK members. starting to cool down following a long hot summer. For
those with the guts to head southwards, Jalal-Abad prov-
Groups meet the Thursday before the weekend of ince’s very own walnut forest in Arslanbob is reportedly
departure. Call (0312) 906 115 or email us at trek@ fantastic in the fall. Pack a decent camera, some Alexan-
elcat.kg. Website: www.trek-kyrgyzstan.com der the Great trivia and write about it for the Spektator!

Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, Chui av. 4A, Office A4
Tel.: +996 (312) 90 61 15, 90 61 39
e-mail: trek@elcat.kg,
website: www.trek-kyrgyzstan.com, www.tuk.kg

Map: Location guide 7. Beta Stores Supermarket 14. New York Pizza 21. Stary Edgars
1. Tequila Blues 8. Derevyashka 15. Cowboy 22. TSUM Department Store
2. Metro Bar (American Pub) 9. Cyclone 16. National Museum 23. Jam
3. Watari 10. Coffee House (II) 17. Navigator 24. Mimino
4. Zaporyzhian Nights 11. Adriatico 18. Sky Bar 25. Arabica
5. Coffe House (I) 12. Santa Maria 19. Foyer 26. Konak
6. 2x2 Bar 13. Faiza 20. Fatboy’s 27. VEFA shopping Centre

October 2010 The Spektator www.thespektator.co.uk