The repair work started in early November, and some restoration activities have already been completed, including part of the artistic painting.
According to Katrevich, he is very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the restoration of this site. "I hope to complete my part of the work by the New Year, which will be a gift for the city. We are restoring the ornament on the ceiling. Inside, there are areas with damaged plaster and other defects that we need to fix. We will try to restore the painting in its original colors," he noted.
Katrevich also added that it is a great honor for him to be involved in this project.
It is worth noting that several previous attempts to restore the pavilion "Ak-Suu" were unsuccessful; work would begin but soon stop. Despite promises from city authorities, the pavilion continued to deteriorate, especially after "Soki—Vody" was transferred to private hands and was resold multiple times.
Last year, the city administration finally resolved the issue of the pavilion's future by transferring it to the cultural management of the municipality. The corresponding order was issued on December 6, 2024.
The "Soki—Vody" pavilion that we know today was built in 1949. The first wooden building at this site appeared in the 1930s when the development of mineral waters in Ak-Suu in the gorge below Bishkek began.
Inside the pavilion is the famous sculpture "Girl with Fruits on Her Head," created by sculptor Olga Manuilova.
Valery Katrevich and his wife Alisa also run a creative workshop, and this is not their first work in the capital. He is the author of a mural dedicated to the Kyrgyz heroic epic, which was created at Manas International Airport.
Additionally, in Bishkek, you can see their mural dedicated to the outstanding linguist Konstantin Yudakhin.
The couple also created another popular mural dedicated to Akhmatbek Suymbaev.
On the wall of school No. 24 in Bishkek, there is a work of art in memory of Timur, a student who died in a car accident, also created by them.
