With his long coat coolly flapping open, Lenin walks down a flight of stairs, followed by some loyal revolutionaries. The scene, one of many statues in Bishkek, reminds of the cover of a boy band CD. But in fact it is the centrepiece of the Kyrgyz National Museum, whose whole first floor is dedicated to Lenin and the Soviet times of Kyrgyzstan. Behind the museum, a huge Lenin statue salutes the occasional passers-by, while not far from him Marx and Engels are sitting on a bench amidst a field of roses. In Soviet times, Lenin occupied the prime position in front of the museum, which was still called Lenin Museum.
The Kirghiz hero Manas
Today it is the legendary local hero Manas who is gracing most of the towns squares and parks. One of his statues in Bishkek now occupies Lenin’s former place in front of the museum. While strolling around we still detect a number of remaining Soviet-time statues in Bishkek. For example, the monument of the martyrs of the revolution, the monument of friendship of the people, etc., but they are gradually being replaced by more nationalist monuments of Kyrgyz writers or even monuments to the “new revolution” of 2010.
Manas in front of the National Museum 
Manas in front of the Philharmony
More statues in Bishkek
Even the Soviet general Mikhail Frunze, who lend his name to the town for 65 years, has largely disappeared from public view. Only his birth-house still exists as a museum. Or rather, a Soviet concrete block is now rising all around a small single story house reportedly belonging to Frunze’s parents. The upper floors of the museum are dedicated to various Soviet military campaigns. They are staffed by diminutive elderly ladies doing crosswords or physical exercises for want of visitors. One of them learned a little German at school and hums for us what she remembers:
“Kleine weiße Friedenstaube, fliege übers Land. Allen Menschen groß und klein bist du wohlbekannt” (Little white peace dove, fly above us all – you are well-known to everybody great and small). We have to admit, though, that we do not know this German song.
There would be even more monuments and statues in Bishkek to explore, but we are leaving for Osh tomorrow.
Martyrs of the revolution 
Monument to the revolution
NB: Our post about statues in Bishkek was not sponsored in any way. It does not contain affiliate links.
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