The name of Bishkek that is the capital city of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan was Pişpek before the period of Soviet Union. In reference with the name of Mihail Vasilyeviç Frunze, one of the Red Army commanders who was born in this city in the year of 1885, the city was called as Frunze in the period of Soviets.

Bishkek is located in the skirts of Aladağ Mountains and in the valley of Çu River. The city that is founded over the Rivers of Alaarça and Alamied is divided into two sections with the Great Çuyski Channel. Pişpek Castle that was constructed by the Hokand Dynasty was captured by the Russians and the city was founded within the environs of this castle in the year of 1878.

The city that had remained as a small centre of population until the year of 1924 became the capital city of Khirghiz Autonomous Administrative Region under the domination of Soviet Union in this year. In the year of 1926, it was the capital city of the Khirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and it developed with a rapid speed in the further periods. The population has exceeded 600 thousands today.

There were the corporations of light industry such as the sugar production, tinned food of meat and fruits until the Second World War in Bishkek. In the course of the war, the Soviets oriented the industry towards the east and the industrial plants for the agricultural machinery, automobile production and metalworking, etc. were constructed in the city. There has been a rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in the city that has been experienced particularly in the years of 1960s.

Today’s Bishkek is a modern city with its wide roads and its structure full of trees. The principal educational institutions include the Kyrgyzstan Academy of Sciences, Kyrgyzstan State University, agriculture and medicine schools and the technical and teacher’s high schools. Kyrgyzstan attained its independence in the year of 1991 pursuant to the disintegration of the USSR. There are not any industrial corporations that operate in the capital city of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan like in all the other Turkish Republics that separated from the USSR. The main reason for this inactivity is the collapse of the technological infrastructure.