On our way to a yurt camp at Lake Issyk-Kul, we spent the night in the Kyrgyzstan city of Karakol, known during Soviet times as Przhevalsk, and took half a day to see the main attractions.
Our first stop was the Dungan Mosque, the only one of eight which survived the Bolshevik era. The Dungans were persecuted Chinese Muslims who having fled their country, commissioned Dungan architects in 1910 to build a place of worship. Constructed entirely without nails, it resembled a Buddhist temple, with a rickety blue wooden pagoda instead of the usual minaret. Although we could only enter the courtyard and not the mosque, dress restrictions were in place, but coverings were available. Having seen security cameras in place, we were told they’d been erected following a spate of shoe thefts.
The Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral, also a wooden structure, had over the years been hit by an earthquake, rebuilt, and turned into a cold store during the Soviet era. The stunning exterior had five green domes each topped with a smaller golden dome and patriarchal cross – the one with a smaller crossbar placed above the main one, and a short, slanted crosspiece near its foot. The interior was less ornate, but there were several individual icons with candles for lighting. Huge tree branches adorned the pillars and an arch of flowers near the iconostasis signified a recent important celebration. Although interior photographs were not allowed, we wandered around the building which was surrounded by rose-filled flower beds.
As we drove through the city, it was hard to miss distinctive, intricately carved wooden cottages, in white with pale blue shutters and doors, a remnant from the Russian empire.
12km out of town we found the Przhevalsky Memorial Museum, and our heart sank when we were allocated a museum guide. However, she was very jolly, and our guide translated quickly. Firstly, we learned who Nicolai Przhevalsky was – a Russian explorer and geographer who travelled extensively in Central and East Asia. Coloured lines on a relief map depicted his major journeys, but he was unsuccessful in reaching his ultimate goal, the Tibetan city of Lhasa. Documents and photographs told his life story, and we learned he self-funded his first trip, and after he wrote a book, the Russian Geographical Society funded further exploration. There were lots of accolades from many countries but not the UK, possibly because the Russians were seen as competitors. A menu from a banquet held in Russia in Przhevalsky’s honour was written in French, as the ability to speak the language was seen as a sign of standing. After his death in 1888 from typhus at the age of 49, his body was buried in accordance with his wishes next to Issyk Kul and on the shores, we found his memorial containing an eagle, olive branch, a scroll depicting his journeys, 10 steps for the 10 years of travelling, and a head and shoulders portrait. Przhevalsky’s life story was fascinating and encouraged me to read more about him when we got home when Wikipedia told of an urban legend that Joseph Stalin was his illegitimate son based on facial similarities. Having checked out our photographs, the resemblance was striking.
