Bishkek Gets Privately-Funded Facelift

The wave of construction and renovation in Bishkek really took off this year. Irina Kozlinskaya, who heads the public relations office of the city government, says much of the funding has come from private sponsors rather than the public purse. These sponsors are shy of publicity, and Kozlinskaya said that was why she could not say how much had been spent.



Asked whether the real motive behind the facelift was to “fill in” large public spaces with features and attractions to prevent anti-government protesters gathering there en masse, Kozlinskaya was dismissive, saying this was hardly going to stop demonstrators if they were determined to come out and protest.