The making of industrial Bishkek. Interhelpo.

This walking tour will tell a story of how industrialization began in fully agrarian Kyrgyzstan and how Central Europeans came to Soviet Kyrgyzstan in the mid-1920s.

"Interhelpo" was formed as a cooperative in Czechoslovakia in 1923 with the aim of helping Kyrgyzstan to build socialist economy. Interhelpo united highly competent industry workers and farmers who were ready to leave home and make use of their skills in an unknown eastern land. More than one thousand workers including their family members arrived in Kyrgyzstan, pure land "free from capitalism", where they could build a new, equal socialist society.

Interhelpo brings first industrial technology and farm machinery to Kyrgyzstan. Electricity first appears in Kyrgyzstan thanks to Interhelpo. Just in a few years they built electric power station, textile factory, foundry, furniture factory, railroads, hospitals, schools and a few main government buildings. In 1925, Interhelpo was declared the best cooperative in the USSR.

On the walking tour, we will follow the footprints of Interhelpo, talk about the challenges of those times, successes and the fall of Interhelpo and explore related places that are still part of modern Bishkek.

The tour lasts for about 2 hours. Make sure you are dressed according to weather and have comfortable shoes on.

Cost: 700 KGS

The meeting point: the intersection of Intergel'po str. (Интергельпо) and Deng Xiaoping (continuation of Chui ave) https://maps.app.goo.gl/dutyWq19xuxbSV7W6
west of Osh bazaar.

Registration is compulsory:
https://goo.gl/forms/wUfSTLn6jsbJpbg03

For questions, e-mail us or phone: bishkekwalks@gmail.com, +996 (0) 559 336 001.