Eastern soviet city

There wasn't cells in Soviet times, so in Bishkek my mobile didn't work too :) I think it was a problem with my mobile.

When you are in Bishkek you can know you aren't in Russia by advertisement, it isn't in Russian. But majority of signs are in Russian. Everywhere you can speak in Russian, everybody knows it. Even pedestrians speak Russian, even they are Kirghiz. I was wondered a lot.

Roads are bad, maybe like in Ulyanovsk, there are not lots of cars, so there are not traffic jams. Lots of cars are old European cars: mersedes, audi and other. But new cars doesn't looks chic. Maybe they needs to be cleaned. The town is very green. Rare town in Russia has so much trees.

International airport Manas reminds me Ulyanovsk railway station. It looks so provincial, non-fussy. There are lots of U.S. military transport airplanes.

Living standard is very small. There is no lots of car, there is no other chic stuff. I didn't see provetry too, but residents told me in country there is abject poverty. People live by natural economy, lots of people go work to Russia or Kazakhstan. Some numbers for comparing. Taxy to airport costs 350 som, pizza in cafe about 150 som. The minimal pension is about 400 som.

There is some kind of charm of eastern town. Maybe, it is like Latinos charm. Bishkek gives impression of native town, Russian language is everywhere, resembling regimentals, resembling architecture, ww2 victory's monuments, streets are named in onor of Russian writers... Eastern Soviet town.