Bishkek Revolutionaries – Lenin – Marx – Engels – Dzerzhinsky – Frunze – Red Guards – Revolutionary Martyrs

Posted on 26/06/2025 by Michael

The Red Star and the Hammer and Sickle

Bishkek Revolutionaries – Lenin – Marx – Engels – Dzerzhinsky – Frunze – Red Guards – Revolutionary Martyrs

For those interested in the Soviet (and Socialist) past of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan there are still a few remaining statues and monuments to that period of a time when the people were attempting to make a better future for workers and peasants.

Unfortunately, as is becoming almost universal now, (as yet) I have few, if any, details about any of these statues or monuments.

VI Lenin – Bishkek

VI Lenin – standing, making a speech

This statue was originally in Lenin Square (now Ala-Too Square) on the other side of the Historical Museum. The statue was originally installed in Bishkek in 1984 and the statue stands 10 metres high.

Location;

In the park behind the State Historical Museum and across the road from the House of Government.

GPS;

42.877582 N

74.606187 E

VI Lenin – in school precinct, Bishkek

VI Lenin bust – with small garden

Location;

Razzakov Street 62/103. Behind the lyceum and seemingly part of a housing estate.

GPS;

42.873294 N

74.603402 E

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels – Bishkek

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels – seated, relaxed and in discussion

Location;

At the north-west edge of Central Square Park, across the road from the Supreme Courft of the Kyrgyz Republic.

GPS;

42.878999 N

74.605547 E

‘Iron Felix’ Dzerzhinsky – Bishkek

Felix Dzerzhinsky (‘Iron Felix’)

It might be surprising for some people to realise that Felix Dzerzhinsky, the first head of the Cheka, the organisation tasked with defeating counter-revolutionary elements within the young Socialist state, is still considered with great deal affection and respect by populations throughout the former Soviet Union.

Location;

In the small park on the west side of the National Library.

GPS;

42.881221 N

74.610105 E

Mikhail Frunze – Bishkek

Equestrian statue of Mikhail Frunze

This, I think, is unusual. The Soviets weren’t really into equestrian statues – or at least as far as I knew. The only other one I’m aware of is of Marshal Zhukov, in Revolution Square by Red Square, in Moscow – but that was installed in 1991, when Socialism had been ditched and the nascent capitalists were looking for some sort of justification for their miserable existence, piggy-backing on past Soviet/Socialist glory.

The city that is now known as Bishkek was called Frunze from 1926, on the founding of the Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR).

Location;

At the bottom end of Erkindik Boulevard, opposite the station building of Bishkek 2.

GPS;

42.865110 N

74.605887 E

Martyrs of the Revolutionary Movement – Bishkek

Martyrs of the Revolutionary Movement

This was inaugurated in 1978 and is the work of a local sculptor, Tinibek Sadykov. For this work he won the All Union Lenin Prize. The female figure at the top of the colon is of a young local woman, Urkuya Saliyeva, a Socialist organiser from the south of the country, who was murdered in 1924 by reactionary locals. The figures in the rest of the monument represent the ‘awakening’ workers and peasants.

Location;

In its own park opposite Chui Avenue 100

GPS;

42.876498 N

74.610505 E

Memorial to the Red Guards – Bishkek

Memorial for the Red Guards

This was erected in 1960 and marks the common grave of of the Bolshevik dead in the Belovodsk counter-revolutionary uprising of December 6, 1918. Unfortunately, the Eternal Flame has been extinguished by the local reactionary capitalists – the same breed they died fighting against in the early days of the Socialist Republic.

Translation of text on monument;

Eternal Glory to those who fell in the struggle for Soviet power – original in Russian. [Facing the eternal flame.]

For Soviet power Glory forever for the fighters – original in Turkman.

Two commanders are buried here. [On the left hand side]

Location;

In Dubovny Park, just behind the Russian Drama Theatre.

GPS;

42.87840 N

74.60840 E

VI Lenin in ‘Lenin Park’ – Almaty – Kazakhstan

Posted on 12/06/2025 by Michael

VI Lenin in ‘Lenin Park’ – Almaty

VI Lenin in Stalingrad (Volgograd)

VI Lenin in Moscow

More on the USSR

VI Lenin in ‘Lenin Park’, Almaty, Kazakhstan

This statue of VI Lenin, in very good condition (apart from having been painted in gold paint) sits in the centre of a small park which bears his name. I don’t think it is the official name for the park, which, as far as I can see on the maps has no name at all. However, this was how the area was referred to by the local gardeners in a bigger, nearby park, when I was searching for the statue with incomplete information.

This is an interesting statue of VI Lenin. He is seated and leaning forward slightly. In his left hand is a notebook and in his right, which is resting on the back of the chair, he is holding a pen. Comrade Lenin was renown for making notes at the very last minute before he was to give a speech so this is what could be represented here. Perhaps he has asked questions of others, seeking clarification of the facts before he includes them in his presentation. So here we have a statue with a bit of life, a bit of movement.

The statue looked in good condition – apart from (as I’ve already said) being painted in gold paint. I’m sure that wouldn’t have been its original colour but this is not the only example where the Kazakhs have painted a Lenin statue gold. It’s the same for the large, standing statue that can be found in ‘Family Park’, also in Altamy.

The plinth on which the statue stands could do with a little bit of maintenance and the grass on either side is wearing a bit thin but apart from that the location is clean and well maintained – as are many of the parks and green spaces in the city.

As is, unfortunately, often the case I have no more information about the statue, who the sculptor was or when it was installed etc.

Location;

On the corner of Seifullin Avenue and Sholokov Street, on the road to Almaty 1 Railway Station.

How to get there;

There are many buses and trolley-buses that leave the centre of the city heading to the Altamy 1 Railway Station. Many of those run along Seifullin Avenue and the nearest bus stop is only a couple of minutes walk from the park. Examples, bus 18, 30, trolleybus 7.

GPS;

43.335695 N

76.945433 E

VI Lenin in Stalingrad (Volgograd)

VI Lenin in Moscow

More on the USSR

VI Lenin in Semiplatinsk – Kazakhstan

Posted on 12/06/2025 by Michael

VI Lenin in Semiplatinsk, Kazakhstan

VI Lenin in Stalingrad (Volgograd)

VI Lenin in Moscow

More on the USSR

VI Lenin in Semiplatinsk, Kazakhstan

This very large statue of VI Lenin is presently ‘hidden’ in a small park in one of the older parts of present day Semey. It hasn’t moved to far from its original location, which was in Central Park, in a direct line from the statues present position towards the river. It stands four stories high and I don’t know what the local people think when they open their curtains in the morning. Despite its size it is only when you are next to it that you are aware it is there. The surrounding trees mask it, even more so in the summer, and I’m sure that was the intention of the authorities who decided on its location.

There used to be other, much smaller statues of Lenin, as well as some busts (one or two showing signs of vandalism) in this park known as ‘Lenin Alley’ but this was too much for the present governors of the city/country and they are now in some unknown (to me) location. This is all part of an accelerating campaign to eradicate the Soviet/Socialist past. As an example of this one of the roads that runs from this park to the river was known as Lenin Avenue but that (I think within the last year or so) has been renamed. This is not just a local trend as a similar renaming has also taken place relatively recently in the city of Pavlodar and the two statues of VI Lenin that were still on public display there have also been removed from the locations they had occupied for years – the second one very recently as the destroyed remains of the plinth are still in evidence.

Not only is it difficult to track down the surviving statues and monuments of the Socialist period it is almost impossible to readily find information about the sculptor or any other relevant details such as when and why the sculpture was originally commissioned.

Presently, (early summer 2025) there is construction work taking place in the park but this follows ‘renovation’ of the area with the installation of seating and the improvement of the paths so it doesn’t seem that there are any plans to re-site this particular statue yet again.

Despite it being relegated to a less prestigious location the past movements have obviously been carried out with care as the statue looked in almost perfect condition and any signs of wear were related to age and not to manhandling when being moved from one site to another.

The biggest statue to VI Lenin in the world is the one that stands at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal, just outside the city of Stalingrad (Volgograd), but I think that takes into account the plinth and the architectural arrangement that leads down to the river. When it comes to the actual statue itself the one in Semiplatinsk must be very close in height.