Kyrgyzstan, abandoned

Ak-Tuz and the Issyk-Kul Hotel.

In the summer of 2021, I spent around 3 months in Kyrgyzstan. As you might know by now from my first post of this series, I volunteered for a contemporary art association, and thanks to this, I was able to meet many nice people.

In the previous post, I talked about the hike I did with Kami in Ala Archa National Park, I also visited an abandoned hotel in Bishkek with her, and in this post, I want to talk about some abandoned places I went to in Kyrgyzstan.

I like discovering and visiting abandoned places because they are full of history, like an open exhibition of a recent past. When I'm there I imagine people who interacted with that place, who worked there, and how their life was in that period. Also when I travelled to Georgia I visited an abandoned sanatorium in Tskaltubo, and in Budapest, where I live, an abandoned train yard.

I want to say that it's illegal and very dangerous to enter abandoned buildings/places, so please don't take this post as an invitation to do the same.

Googling I discovered several abandoned cities in Kyrgyzstan and in general in central Asia because there are a lot of mining cities from the Soviet period that after the end of that period were left abandoned. Since Kina and Timur were organizing tours in the country, I asked them if they could help me reach one of these cities and they suggested we go together to Ak-Tuz, the city still has inhabitants, but a big part of it is abandoned.

Ak-Tuz is a village located in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan. This region is famous for the Issyk-Kul Lake, one of the largest and deepest lakes in the world.

The village has a history tied to mining activities, particularly during the Soviet era. Ak-Tuz was known particularly for extracting metals like uranium and other minerals. Historically, the economy of Ak-Tuz revolved around this activity. However, with the decline of mining activities post-Soviet Union, the village has faced economic challenges. Now Ak-Tuz is a small village, with a modest population. The population has likely fluctuated over the years due to economic opportunities and environmental issues.

While not a major tourist destination, the surrounding Issyk-Kul Region attracts visitors for its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities. Ak-Tuz itself may appeal to those interested in exploring off-the-beaten-path locations.

On Kyrgyzstan Independence Day, Timur, his mom, his girlfriend, Kina, and I drove to this city, we planned a small hike and a picnic, and after we visited the abandoned part of the city.

I asked Kina if she wanted to pose. I like to take portraits with a sort of post-apocalyptic vibes, so we improvised an outfit for this shooting, and based on the locations I was telling her what to do. I like, in a way, to bring back some life in these uninhabited places. 

The mine played a crucial role in the Soviet Union's industrial and military sectors, particularly in providing materials for nuclear energy and weapons. The infrastructure built to support the mining operations included processing facilities, worker housing, and related amenities, forming a mining town around the site.

Today, the remnants of the mine and its infrastructure can still be found in Ak-Tuz. Efforts are ongoing to rehabilitate the land and address the lingering environmental issues. I tried to visit the main building where the mining operations were done, but it was impossible to enter, it was well-closed and I didn’t want to risk my health or problems with the authorities. Anyway, I visited several abandoned houses, probably working housing, and I am satisfied with what I did even if visiting the factory would have been amazing.

Another friend that I have made in Bishkek is Valeria, I met her during my volunteering work, and she was the one who told me about the Issyk Kul Hotel in Bishkek. I visited this abandoned hotel twice, once with Kami and after with Victoria.

On a different day with Kami, we visited a shop that repairs and sells second-hand cameras, after that we didn’t know what to do so I proposed to visit this hotel that I heard about and she immediately said yes.

Entering the hotel was easy, the main gate was partially open, and the hotel didn’t have doors. I visited it without a real plan or a real idea of which kind of pictures I wanted to get.

We only visited the first three floors, and the atmosphere was incredible. I liked to see nature getting back. I was trying to understand how it was before, the people that were passing by, maybe famous ones, and the events they were doing there.

Around a week later, with Valeria, we went to the roof, where we found a bar, the view from there, with all the mountains around, was beautiful. Going up to the floors we saw different amazing graffiti, some of which gave me inspiration for portraits or photos.

Given its name referencing Issyk-Kul Lake, a popular tourist destination, it's likely the hotel was built during the Soviet era (1922-1991). During this time, tourism played a significant role in Kyrgyzstan's economy, and many hotels and resorts were constructed. In 2022 Kami sent me a video showing the demolition of the hotel, the Kyrgyz government want to build a new government administrative complex on the site. Some citizens protested the decision, arguing the historical value of the hotel should be preserved and questioning the need for a new government complex. It was nice to visit it before they demolished it.

Valeria not only made me discover the Issyk Kul Hotel but also an organization that every weekend plans hikes outside of Bishkek, so in the next post I will let you know about one of these hikes.

See you soon

Flavio