Ala Too Square Underground

The underground of the Ala Too square has been known, first of all, for having been used by the communistic elite as a pass up to the tribune during official parades. At the same time there had been many rumors around the underground labyrinths in front of the today’s historical museum. People even talked that there was an underground quarter provided to the KGB to be used for casemates.

The case was that in 50s these spaces were actually designed to serve as a garage for the KGB. 25 cars of the top state leaders used to be kept here. But in the beginning of 80s, the old KGB building was destroyed and this space became a part of a grand construction of a new architectural complex of the central square.
According to the project, Lenin Museum (today, the State Historical Museum) and a large square with a tribune and a monument to the founder of the soviet state was supposed to be constructed here. In 1984 the construction was finished, the monument was presented and the square was named after V.I. Lenin.

The story of the statue itself is interesting. Unlike all the rest of such monuments in the post soviet countries, where they were dismantled just right after the states got their independence, the Ilyich statue in Bishkek kept standing on its original position for almost 20 years (out of which, 12 - in the sovereign Kyrgyz Republic). In 2003 the monument has been moved away and installed across the street from the parliament (the whole job took literally a night), and in its place a statue of Liberty has been installed, which still towers on the central square.

As the result of moving the monument, large trucks damaged the hydro insulation under the monument and a 1000 square meters of underground spaces became unsuitable for constant usage. But regardless of that, since 2005 the underground spaces have been opened for the public. Something that was not suitable for an official establishment became a perfect place for short-term international contemporary art exhibitions.

Exhibitions and art projects held in the Ala Too underground spaces:

• 2005
  II Bishkek International Exhibition of Contemporary Art “In the Shadow of Heroes”;
  Performance “Hunger Artist” by Marat Raymkulov and Ulan Murzakhmetov;
  Performance “Metamorphoses” by Group 705;
• 2006 г.
  Contemporary Art Exhibition “Lost Paradise” in cooperation with transrussian art project "9000";
  Performance by Marat Raymkulov and Ulan Murzakhmetov in frames of the exhibition;
  III Bishkek International Exhibition of Contemporary Art “Zone of Risk. Transition".