Mikhail Frunze Museum

This museum is dedicated to Mikhail Frunze, a military hero in the first two decades of the twentieth century - he died during stomach surgery in 1925, although conspiracy theorists believe that his death was engineered by Stalin. The museum contains memorabilia of his life and times, and it is all well laid-out with interesting information boards that really do illuminate that turbulent period of Russian history. However, unless you read Russian or Kyrgyz, or have someone with you who does, you will miss a lot. Special exhibits are in a locked room on the right at the top of the main entrance stairs, and you may need to ask the attendant to let you in.

When we were there the attendant watched us the whole time like a hawk, and had a slightly creepy tendency to follow us around.

The prize exhibit is the actual cottage in which Frunze was born in 1885, which was dismantled and has been reconstructed on the ground floor of the museum. This alone is worth the entrance money, because you can walk into the rooms, which have all been provided with period furnishings and artefacts.

If you happen to be Kyrgyz and can produce your passport, you get into the museum much, much more cheaply than do foreigners.