Kyrgyz paintings
Mountains, herding and daily life.
Adam Harangozó — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Davide Mauro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Adam Harangozó — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Davide Mauro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo User:Zenwort — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Gapar Aitiev Museum is Kyrgyzstan's national museum of fine arts and holds a large art collection. It occupies a modern white building opposite the Opera and Ballet Theatre, and it offers a picture of Kyrgyz life through paintings and textiles. It is a good choice for a hot or rainy day in the capital. The museum was founded on 1 January 1935 as the National Art Gallery, with its first works coming from the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. It now bears the name of Gapar Aitiev, one of the pioneers of painting in Kyrgyzstan. It holds nearly 4,000 paintings and almost 10,000 graphic works, along with folk and applied art and Russian and Soviet painting. The visit opens with spacious halls and wooden floors, hung with paintings of mountains, herding and Kyrgyz life, including «Hunter with Eagle». Embroidered textiles and wall hangings stand out with their strong colours, and small sculptures sit in the middle of the rooms. Temporary shows change, so you may find a different display from an earlier visit. It is in the city centre, about 300 m in a straight line from Oak Park and about 900 m from the Central Mosque. It closes on Mondays. Sources give 11:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday, while older sources give earlier times, so check before you go. An hour is enough, or longer if textiles interest you.
Mountains, herding and daily life.
Strong colours and old motifs.
Works from early collections.
196 Abdrakhmanov Street, opposite the Opera and Ballet Theatre, Bishkek
Oak ParkOak Park, officially Chingiz Aitmatov Park, is among the oldest and calmest gree4 minutes walk
National History Museum, BishkekThe National History Museum of Kyrgyzstan, founded on 9 December 1925 as the cou7 minutes walk4.5
Ala-Too SquareBishkek's central square, built in 1984 for the 60th anniversary of Soviet Kirgh8 minutes walk4.6
Imam Sarakhsi Central MosqueThe Imam Sarakhsi Central Mosque is the largest mosque in Bishkek and one of the12 minutes walkIt closes on Mondays. Most sources give 11:00 to 18:00 on other days, but they vary, so check before visiting.
Start with the Kyrgyz paintings and embroidered textiles, the museum's most distinctive parts.