Biškek: girls in traditional clothings in 1975, when Kirghizistan whas part of the Soviet Union. The building you see on the background is the former hotel “Kirghizistan” (“Кыргызстан” мейманканасы, as the sign says), built in 1971 by architect E. G. Pisarskii.[1] At that time the city was known as “Frunze” and its population was 486 000.[2] After refurbishment, the building became the current “Hyatt Regency Bishkek Hotel”.[3]

(photo: © 1975 Novosti news agency, Moscow — personal collection)

1974-kirghizstan-hotel-frunze

Another view of the Kirghizistan hotel, from a 1974 postcard. The car is a soviet-built Lada-Vaz 2101 Žiguli.

  1. [1]Abazov, Rafis. Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 2007. 209.↩
  2. [2]Novosti.↩
  3. [3]Azattyk.org↩

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