Regional Museum

This small museum, housed in a pretty chocolate-box cottage in central Karakol, was the pre-revolutionary summer home of the Ilina merchant family. During the turbulent years of 1918-20 the building earned its socialist stripes as headquarters of the Regional Revolutionary Committee, and was subsequently transformed into a museum by order of the Soviet Council of Ministers in 1948.
   Despite its modest size, the museum has several interesting displays (labelled in English, Russian and Kyrgyz), which are worth seeing. Scythian artefacts include enormous bronze pots retrieved from Lake Issyk-Kul, displayed alongside exhibits on petroglyphs in the area. Besides a comprehensive display of traditional Kyrgyz punched leatherwork, felt wall hangings and woven yurt decorations, the museum has a colourful collection of national costumes, examples of finely worked silver jewellery and a good exhibition of Kyrgyz applied art. One hall covers the region's flora and fauna - much of which is endangered and listed in the 'Red Book' (a Soviet inventory of protected species). The museum is also worth visiting to gain a Soviet perspective of history in the region. A couple of walls relating to Kyrgyz union with Russia and the subsequent revolution are now historical artefacts in themselves. These halls are soon to be removed for re-interpretation and during recent work to label museum exhibits in English (sponsored by Turkestan) we were asked not to translate them.
   The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance costs 100 som for foreign visitors (approx 2$). Exhibits labelled in Russian, Kyrgyz and English (apart from the revolution hall, in Russian and Kyrgyz only).