Dissolution
In my travels, I tend to fixate on the residential spaces where normal life resumes outside the tourist hubs. For me, this includes leaving the resorts of Cholpon Ata and crossing over the A363 highway into the Third Microdistrict, a neighborhood built during the USSR. Overtime, microdistricts have deteriorated due to the harsh winters and hot summers. However, the paneled concrete Krushovkas meant to last no more than a century, continue to stand. Let’s explore.
Cholpon Ata Airport
The airport in the region's most popular resort town, constructed in the 1930s, ceased operations in recent decades.
Scattered across the landscape near the airport and the third microdistrict are large rocks adorned with petroglyphs, believed to be around a thousand years old.
Afghan War Memorial
From 1979-1989, the Soviet Union attempted to support the Afghan communist government with thee goal of forcing out Islamic nationalist groups such as the Mujahideen. 7,141 Kyrgyz citizens were sent to fight under the Kyrgyz SSR. 250 never returned home. It seems that seven of the soldiers who were killed in action were from Cholpon Ata.
A363 Highway
Song-Kul neighborhood in Balykchy, Kyrgyzstan. These photos were taken in July 2023.
