Karakol Historical and Local Lore Museum

Traveling along the eastern part of the Issyk-Kul Lake coast, you will definitely find yourself in the city of Karakol. It is the largest resort city in this part of the Pre-Issyk-Kul region. It is interesting not only for its beautiful beaches and ski base but also for its unique historical monuments.

Karakol is one of the most beautiful cities in Kyrgyzstan and a favorite destination for tourists. It is located in a climate-favorable and extraordinarily picturesque area, at an altitude of 1690-1770 m above sea level.

The history of the city begins in 1869. It was then that this settlement was founded as an administrative and trade center. Initially, it was named Karakol, after the small river on which it is situated. However, in 1889, the city was renamed Przhevalsk in honor of the famous scientist Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, who passed away here in 1888. It was Przhevalsky who made Karakol the center of many Russian scientific expeditions at the end of the 19th century. Notable botanists who worked here studied and cultivated unique plant specimens, making Karakol rightfully one of the greenest cities in Kyrgyzstan.



The Karakol Historical and Local Lore Museum is located in the western-central part of the city of Karakol in the Issyk-Kul region. Its interesting exhibition is housed in a small one-story pre-revolutionary building, from where this remarkable city began to grow. It is located on a street styled in the 19th century, "Merchant Passage," where the original appearance of one block of Jamansariev Street has been restored in the 19th-century style, with roads and sidewalks paved with stone as they were 120 years ago, and streetlights, benches, and trash bins made in the 19th-century style, as well as the facades and roofs of historical buildings fully restored. The museum is situated in a building constructed in 1887 as a private house of merchant livestock breeder M.N. Ilyin.

The museum was opened on November 1, 1948, based on a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. On December 29, 1957, in connection with the 60th anniversary of the death of N.M. Przhevalsky and in order to perpetuate his memory, the Council of Ministers of the USSR decided to open a museum in the city of Przhevalsk named after N.M. Przhevalsky.

From 1948 to 1961, the museum was called the Issyk-Kul State Museum named after N.M. Przhevalsky of the Ministry of Culture of the Kyrgyz SSR.



In 1962, the museum was reorganized into a branch of the memorial museum named after N.M. Przhevalsky, under the Culture Department of the Issyk-Kul region in the city of Przhevalsk. In 1965, the museum became a branch of the Historical Museum of Frunze.

On March 31, 1988, the Przhevalsk City Museum named after N.M. Przhevalsky was transformed into the Issyk-Kul Regional Historical and Local Lore Museum, based on a decision of the Executive Committee of the Regional Council of People's Deputies. Since February 24, 1992, the museum named after N.M. Przhevalsky and the museum-memorial complex of N.M. Przhevalsky merged based on a resolution of the Karakol City Council of People's Deputies.

Since January 17, 2001, the museum has been named the Historical and Local Lore Museum of the city of Karakol, based on a resolution of the Karakol City Council of People's Deputies.

The museum is located in a building constructed in 1887 as a private house of merchant livestock breeder M.N. Ilyin.



Exhibits characteristic of archaeological finds from the Stone Age, weapons and tools from the Bronze Age, fragments of rock paintings, and items from sacrificial memorial complexes are displayed here. Documents and materials tell about the life of the nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes that make up the Kyrgyz ethnicity and about Kyrgyzstan's incorporation into Russia. Items from settlers, musical instruments, women's jewelry, horse gear, and artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries are presented in 8 halls of the museum, which attract great interest from visitors.

Museum staff continuously improve their qualifications by participating in regional, republican, and international conferences dedicated to the management and leadership of museum activities.

From 2003 to 2012, significant work was done in the museum, including repairs funded by the City Kenesh and the Mayor's Office of Karakol.

- The sign "Museum" has been updated.

- The sidewalk near the museum entrance has been paved.

- A grant was won under the "ARIS" program, which funded the roofing of the museum building in the amount of 419,240 soms, with the local budget contributing 12,577 soms.

- Under the "USAID" project, the "Merchant Passage" quarter was restored to preserve the historical heritage and architectural value of the city with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

- Display cases were made and women's jewelry was exhibited in the "Exhibition Hall."

- The "Revolutionary Hall" was reconstructed into the "Settlers' Hall" under the project.

- In 2012, with the support of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Kyrgyz Republic, Pamir’s Bridges, and its president Bernard Repon, a corner was created dedicated to the first European woman, a stuntwoman, scientist-traveler, researcher, photographer, and actress who visited Central Asia, including the city of Karakol, in the early years of Soviet power.



Photos and personal belongings taken by her were donated to our museum from the "L ELYSEE" museum (Switzerland) and the "Ella Maillart" fund and its secretary Anna-Liza Hollmann.

Additionally, her book was translated from French into Kyrgyz by the decision of PAYOT RIVAGES from Paris as part of the project.

Under the "Kumtor" project, the "Fauna and Natural Wealth" hall was reconstructed, and a corner model and stand for the gold mining combine were created.

In 2011, a project was written and submitted for consideration under the USAID program "Preservation and Development of Historical and Cultural Heritage" for the Historical and Local Lore Museum of Karakol, designed for three years.

From 2003 to 2012, the museum's fund received 227 exhibits.

Photos of the museum can be viewed in our photo gallery

Reference Information:
City of Karakol, Jamansariev Street 164
Museum Director A. Karabekova
Phone: 5-32-68
Mobile: 0552 66 96 23
Mobile: 0553 13 16 82