This Belongs in a Museum

Even though I briefly taught geography when I was a social studies teacher, I have no idea where Kyrgyzstan is on a map (or how to pronounce it). But it is not surprising that this former Soviet Republic has a very interesting collection of USSR memorabilia in its National Museum. A giant statue of Vladimir Lenin sits outside the entrance, and if you thought this was the last appearance of the Bolshevik leader, then you are dead wrong. The theme continues inside as Lenin and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Mikhail Frunze, can be seen everywhere, from porcelain vases and traditional rugs to busts and murals. You name it and their faces are there. Soviet flags as well as Hammer and Sickle symbol cover the ceiling and walls. As you can see the Soviet Union is very much alive here. But that’s not the strangest part. The museum’s murals depict late Soviet era propaganda. One that belongs in its own weird mural museum is former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as a cowboy skeleton zombie sitting Dr. Strangelove-style on a Pershing missile surrounded by people demanding “No More Hiroshimas“. Basically there are a lot of skeletons on horses in apocalyptic scenarios in the mural section of the museum but even weirder is a 60s folk singing protest of some kind. Let me know if you figured that last one out. Are they protesting the skeletons? Gosh, art is so confusing. Anyway, I doubt many westerners go to Kyrgyzstan, but if any do, they must go to this museum. It’s, like, a walk back in time when the world was (and apparently still is) in the midst of the Cold War. What’s not to like?

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