Bishkek (in Kyrgyz an Roushie: Бишкек), umwhile Pishpek an Frunze, is the caipital an the lairgest ceety o Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is an aa the admeenistrative centre o Chuy Province which surroonds the ceety, even though the ceety itsel is no pairt o the province but rather a province-level unit o Kyrgyzstan.

The name is thocht tae derive frae a Kyrgyz wird for a churn uised tae mak fermentit mare's milk (kumis), the Kyrgyz naitional drink. Foondit in 1825 as the Kyrgyz-Khokand fortress o "Bishkek", then, in 1862, named as the Russian fortress Pishpek (крепость Пишпек),^[4] in 1926 the ceety wis renamed Frunze (Фрунзе), efter the Bolshevik military leader Mikhail Frunze. In 1991, the Kyrgyz parliament restored the ceety's historical name.

Bishkek is situatit at aboot 800 metres (2,600ft) altitude juist aff the northren fringe o the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range, an extension o the Tian Shan muntain range, which rises up tae 4,855 metres (15,928ft) an provides a spectacular backdrop tae the ceety. North o the ceety, a fertile an gently undulatin steppe extends far north intae neighborin Kazakhstan. The Chui River drains maist o the aurie. Bishkek is connectit tae the Turkestan-Siberie Railway bi a spur line.

Bishkek is a ceety o wide boulevards an marble-faced public buildings combined wi numerous Soviet-style apairtment blocks surroondin interior courtyards an, especially ootside the ceety centre, thoosans o smawer privately biggit hooses. It is laid oot on a grid pattern, wi maist streets flanked on baith sides bi narrae irrigation channels that watter the innumerable trees which provide shade in the hot simmers.

Oreeginally a caravan rest stop (possibly foondit bi the Sogdians) on ane o the branches o the Silk Road through the Tian Shan range, the location wis fortified in 1825 bi the Uzbek khan o Kokhand wi a mud fort.

The Kyrgyz legend says that the place wis a burial site o the hero Bishkek, the local Kyrgyz war lord who fought for the Kyrgyz unthirldom in the 18t century.

In 1862, the fort wis conquered an razed when Tsarist Roushie annexed the aurie. The site became a Roushie garrison an wis redeveloped an named "Pishpek" frae 1877 onward bi the Roushie government, which encouraged the dounset o Roushie peasants bi givin them fertile black soil farms tae develop. In 1926, the ceety became the caipital o the newly establisht Kirghiz ASSR an wis renamed "Frunze" efter Mikhail Frunze, Lenin's close associate who wis born in Bishkek an played key roles durin the 1905 an 1917 revolutions an durin the Roushie ceevil war o the early 1920s.

The early 1990s wur tumultuous. In Juin 1990, a state o emergency wis declared follaein severe riots in soothren Kyrgyzstan which threatened tae spread tae the caipital. The ceety wis renamed Bishkek on 5 Februar 1991 an Kyrgyzstan achieved unthirldom later that year durin the breakup o the Soviet Union. Afore unthirldom, Bishkek wis a "Roushified" ceety, the majority o its population being ethnic Roushies. In 2004, Roushies made up approximately 20% o the ceety's population.^[5]

The day, Bishkek is a rapidly modrenisin ceety, wi mony restaurants an cafes an lots o seicont-hand European an Japanese caurs an minibuses croudin its streets. At the same time Bishkek still preserves its umwhile Soviet feel, wi Soviet-period biggins an gairdens prevailin ower newer structures.

Bishkek is an aa the kintra's financial centre, wi aw o the kintra's 21 commercial baunks featurin offices in the ceety. Durin the Soviet era, the ceety wis hame tae a lairge nummer o industrial plants, but maist hae been shut doun or operate the day on a muckle reduced scale. Ane o the day's Bishkek's lairgest employment centres is Dordoy Bazaar, which is ane the major entrepôts for Cheenese guids importit intae CIS kintras.

The ceety is hame tae the Bandy Federation o Kyrgyzstan^[6] which is a member o the IOC recognized^[7] Federation o Internaitional Bandy.

Sister ceeties o Bishkek include:

• 👁 Kazakhstan
  Almaty, Kazakhstan
• 👁 Kazakhstan
  Astana, Kazakhstan
• 👁 United States
  Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, syne 1994
• 👁 United States
  Meriden, Connecticut, USA, syne 2005
• 👁 Turkey
  Ankara, Turkey
• 👁 Turkey
  İzmir, Turkey
• 👁 Fowkrepublic o Cheenae
  Ürümqi, Fowkrepublic o Cheenae
• 👁 Belaroushie
  Minsk, Belaroushie, syne 2008

• 👁 Image
  Travel guide tae Bishkek frae Wikivoyage
• The Spektator – Society, cultur an travel airticles on Kyrgyzstan an Bishkek ceety guide Archived 2020-06-23 at the Wayback Machine