At a glance

How do you give an impression of a country "at a glance"? Is it possible to sum up a country in a single image? It is not an easy task - especially when the country contains a vast array of contrasts such as Kyrgyzstan.

In the United Kingdom there have been several attempts in recent years to define "Britishness" - an essential element of what it means to be British, a search for an icon or brand which represents the country in the minds of both, the native British and also of foreigners, (and, of course, the images might well be different in each case - How we see ourselves is not always how others see us!). 

One such attempt, "ICONS - a portrait of England", was coordinated by the British Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport and by the end of 2007 there were about 1200 entries varying from the Red Telephone and Letter (pillar) boxes which littered both cityscape and countryside; Cricket and Soccer; the Rolls Royce and the Mini; the Red Routemaster bus and the Black London Cab; the Oak Tree and the Robin; Stonehenge and Big Ben; Robin Hood and Winnie the Pooh; ...

If a similar exercise was conducted in Kyrgyzstan, what images would represent Kyrgyzstan?  That's a difficult question to answer ... although small, it contains a vast range of landscapes; almost every climate type; every element of the Periodic Table can be found here and all four seasons can be experienced in the space of twenty four hours. Placed as it at the Heart of Central Asia and straddling the ancient Silk Road, there are many nationalities and cultures represented here ... and the choice could draw on many aspects of this multi-cultural community.   Indeed, one problem facing marketing experts searching for an image to represent Kyrgyzstan and a creating a brand for the country is that many potential choices are not unique to Kyrgyzstan but can be found in other cultures across Central Asia. 

The range of choices for icons to represent the country is, however, impressive and includes:     

• Natural landmarks: mountain peaks such as Khan Tengi, Pobeda or Lenin; lakes such as Issyk Kul, Son Kul, Sary Chelek or The mysterious Merzbacher Lakes;
• In terms of fauna and flora there are Snow Leopards, Marco Polo Sheep, Eagles, Horses, Sheep and the Tiagan hound, Tulips and the Aigul Flower to choose from. 
• The Unique historic buildings such as the Burana Tower, Tash Rabat caravanserai or the grandiose Uzgen Mausoleums, or perhaps modern buildings such as the White House, or the Opera and Ballet Theater, to represent the fact that Kyrgyzstan is a modern state, well and truly living in the twenty-first century and a place of culture - not "the back of beyond"  
• Examples of traditional nomadic Kyrgyz culture such as:
  • Traditional crafts with their distinctive patterns, The Shyrdak or Chiy;
  • Elements of national dress such as the distinctive Kyrgyz headgear: Al Kalpak for men and Elechek for women;
  • The Yurt - and particularly the Tunduk;
  • The Komuz;
  • Traditional cuisine such as Borsok; Beshbarmak, Kumys or Maksim/Shoro 
• People or characters, such as a typical Aksakal, Manas, (the legendary hero of the Kyrgyz), or the author Chinghiz Aitmatov 

In this section of the Information Pack we present some of the attempts to define what can represent Kyrgyzstan "at a glance".  Some of these examples were drawn from people here in the country, others are recommendations from guidebooks or people working in the global tourism industry.   Visitors, however, may have different ideas and in an attempt to help discover what encapsulated for them their trip to Kyrgyzstan, The Celestial Mountains tour company ran a competition in 2007, (repeated in 2008),  "Impressions of Kyrgyzstan", and you'll find some of the results here as well. 

Unfortunately, it has to be admitted that there are also negative images which remain in the minds of visitors: the riots of March 24th 2005 which were an unpleasant experience to live through, led to a change of government, and were broadcast across the world; the state of toilets - especially throughout rural regions; the poverty in which much of the population lives - again, especially in the rural regions.