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A farmer rests above Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s sleepy
capital of 800,000. A growing presence of international
aid workers, businessmen and students adds to the already
multiethnic flavor there, the result of both demographic
reshuffling within the Soviet Union and the country’s
location at an East-West crossroads.
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The sun sets on Lenin in Bishkek’s central square.
Unlike other Central Asian republics that gained independence
in the early 1990s, Kyrgyzstan has not turned away from
its Soviet history. For some, nostalgia for the social
welfare of the past is fueled by the hardships of the
present.
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The façade of this Soviet-era building in Bishkek
demonstrates the Soviet state’s belief that the
arts should glorify the ideals of communism. Kyrgyz culture
has a strong musical and storytelling tradition, exemplified
by its epic poem about the hero Manas, who led the Kyrgyz
to fend off invaders from the East.
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The “late edition”: At day’s end, Kyrgyz
men glance at the pages of Vecherny Bishkek, the
city’s only daily newspaper. Independent media and
international organizations are concerned over a decline
in press freedom in Kyrgyzstan, once considered an island
of democracy in the region.
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The tiger is tamed: Cases of cheap, potent Russian vodka
are stocked at a local store. Although three-quarters
of the country is Muslim, alcoholism -- a lingering legacy
of Russian colonialism and Soviet uprooting -- is a problem,
yet vodka remains a key part of Central Asian hospitality.
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By Andy Isaacson - Andy
Isaacson is a freelance photographer based in the San
Francisco Bay Area. A collection of his work can be
viewed at www.worldwebeyes.com.
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